Before the Devil Knows You're Dead: simply magnificent

Advantages: Performances, writing, direction
Disadvantages: None

...note: also appears on my film review website, ShaunMunro.co.uk, and Dooyoo! Sidney Lumet returns to top form in Before the Devil Knows You?re Dead - a devilishly tense (pun intended), sprawling, melodramatic puzzle of a film. The film?s title comes from a famous Irish blessing, which declares, ?And may you be in heaven half an hour before the devil knows you're dead?, verbiage very much apt for protagonist brothers Andy (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and Hank (Ethan Hawke). In short, Andy and Hank, both short of money for various reasons, are looking to rob a ?mom and pop? jewellery store, yet the sting in the tail lies in the fact that this store is owned by their parents. The focal point of the film is this robbery?s result, which leaves various individuals dead or near death, and Andy and Hank must attempt a clean getaway as their...

asdasta632 26.09.2009 · Read review
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Review of Before the Devil Knows You're Dead DVD

Before Sunset

Advantages: brilliant performance, clever and engaging story
Disadvantages: none

...After watching Before Sunrise I was hesitating whether to watch Before Sunset that day or wait not to ruin the experience. Usually the sequences are worse and spoil even the original movie. If you haven?t seen Before Sunset yet I tell you in advance that it won?t spoil the original film. Before Sunset catches up the story nine years after Befor Sunset ends. The film was released in 2004 so exactly nine years later. This film a drama as well. The director and the producer was Richard Linklater. The screenplay writers Richard Linklater and Kim Krizan involved the two main characters of the film in writing the sequel?s screenplay. Before Sunset takes place in Paris and it is very similar to the first part: the main characters are the same and they walk a lot and talk. The film is quite short, only 80 minutes. The classification of this...

D_i_a_n_e 02.12.2009 · Read review
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Review of Before Sunset (DVD)

Good Shoes- Think before you speak

Advantages: Catchy light tunes.
Disadvantages: Sounds similar to other indie bands around.

...Well, i wouldn't say it's everyones taste, but i like this album very much. If your into indie/alternative music, or bands such as bloc party/radiohead/the maccabees, i would buy/download. I wouldn't expect this album to blow you away, but it is good to listen to every now and then, my personal favourites on the album are, "never ment to hurt you" which is a catchy song with very random lyrics, but they work, and "morden" which is also another very catchy song, and is a bit more upbeat than "never ment to hurt you" and is my personal favourite out the bunch. In all, i would say the album is good, with a few songs il be playing in few years time, but if you don't have a lot of money i wouldnt buy, unless you really know/think you like it. The lyrics are very random, but i think it works well. Tracks 1. Nazanin 2. The photo...

shannon_xo 28.11.2007 · Read review
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Review of Think Before You Speak - Good Shoes

Before Sunrise

Advantages: great performance, touching story
Disadvantages: none

...Before Sunrise is a drama made in 1995. It was directed by Richard Linklater. This film has a second part which was made in 2001 and its title is Before Sunset. Richard Linklater is an American film director, producer, screenplay writer and also actor. He directed for example the Fast Food Nation. Before Sunset stars Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke. The running time of the film is 105 minutes. It was released in January 1995. The screenplay was written by Richard Linklater and Kim Krizan. The classification of this film is 15 years and over. Main cast ------------- Julie Delpy ? Céline Ethan Hawke ? Jesse Plot ------- Jesse and Céline travel on the same train from Budapest to Paris. Jesse observes Céline and founds a reason how to talk to her. Jesse is an American young man who goes to Vienna from where his flight goes back to...

D_i_a_n_e 01.12.2009 · Read review
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Review of Before Sunrise (DVD)

Ten thing to do before you die

Advantages: Good storyline and supporting cast
Disadvantages: Doesn't pull you in.

...I finished this book last night, and have just been looking at other people's reviews of the book and I am shocked. I found this book incredibly difficult to read, and not in a good way. Here is why The Plot Tessa is a 16 year old girl, who has terminal cancer. She has only a few months left to live, so writes down certain things she wants to do before she dies like for example; driving a car or having sex. (I have to be careful with the amount of the plot I can give out, due to the fact it could ruin the story for you) The Characters Tessa: One of the reasons I didn't like this book was because of Tessa, I found her incredibly hard to connect with like you're supposed to. I found her very selfish, which I know is very understandable in her circumstances. The fact that I wasn't able to connect with the lead character made it...

DixieChick10 08.06.2008 · Read review
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Review of Before I Die - Jenny Downham

Dying to explore these islands before I die

Advantages: very inspiring to read
Disadvantages: quite expensive

...BEFORE BBC BOOKSHOP was closed permanenttly in Belfast last year, I bought several books and DVDs for a half price from the store. In particular, I collected 3 out of the 4 exciting series of books written by international travel writers, Steve Davey and Steve Watkins; and photographers, Marc Schlossman and Clare Jones. Briefly, these travel books include the following: Unforgettable Islands to escape to before you die, Unforgettable Journeys to take before you die, Unforgettable Things to do before you die, and Unforgettable Places to see before you die which I am planning to purchase this Xmas. First, I will be sharing to you the fourth title published in 2007, entitled Unforgettable Islands to escape to before you die! Why the Unforgettable Islands? Well, just to give you first a background of my origin. I was born and raised in...

digitalenvironmentalist 17.12.2008 · Read review
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Review of Unforgettable Islands to Escape to Before You Die - Steve Davey & Marc Schlossman

Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (2007)

Advantages: cast, narrative
Disadvantages: choppy exposition of the plot

...What's the worst you can imagine? Before the Devil Knows You're Dead is going to challenge it. Through a nasty sequence of coincidences we watch the destruction of several lives, all derived from the characters' own willingness to descend into chaos. The concept is driven by numerous flashbacks over the plot timeline, which revolves around the robbery of a jewelry store. The viewer is given little pieces of important information over time, with multiple perspectives on the events. Philip Seymour Hoffman's perfomance as the evil, plotting and ultimately punished character is top notch. The calm decline into insanity of a broken man is represented in a way I've never seen before. Ethan Hawke's character is drawn into the plot for being the brother of the protagonist, and he is able to convey perfectly the frenetic mental perturbation...

Morellli 29.09.2008 (02.10.2008) · Read review
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Review of Before the Devil Knows You're Dead DVD

10 Things to do before I die

Advantages: -
Disadvantages: -

...Oh sh*t! I have accidently deleted everything in this opinion! I will write it back up when I get the chance. I need to fill up some space before it'll let me send this through. What to talk about? Oh, my dream last night! This is quite odd so I'll just share it with you all: Have you heard that Gay Bar song by Electric 6? In my dream, Thierry Henry was chasing me around a four-poster bed with a bunch of bananas singing/shouting 'I'VE GOT SOMETHING TO STICK IN YOU!' Those words are part of the song by the way, not just my mucky mind! What it means, I dread to think! I will edit this and rewrite it when I get the chance, please don't rate it....

jeszikca 19.02.2003 (08.06.2003) · Read review
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Review of 10 Things to do before you die

Before Sunset

Advantages: Masterful performances, pacing, visually stunning, touching story.
Disadvantages: May lack something without knowlege of the first film.

...regards, becomes the better film. These comparisons are rather unecessary though. The key point here is the quality of Before Sunset, not how it holds out. I don't think any viewer will have needed to see the first film to appreciate Before Sunset, but I think it will help one to understand the more subtle nuances of the second film. It is these elements that push Before Sunset toward being one of the greatest film romances put to screen. Before Sunrise ended with Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy) promising to meet each other again in Vienna six months after their encounter. This has led to speculation for years by fans as to whether or not this did happen. Before Sunset will answer all of these questions, but not before teasing you a little first. This film opens at a book signing, where Jesse has now become a minor...

eddie7sf 02.08.2004 · Read review
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Review of Before Sunset (DVD)

Things To Do Before I Kick The Bucket

Advantages: See text of opinion
Disadvantages: See text of opinion

...~ ~ Hmmm… interesting one this, isn’t it? Kind of like a ‘wish list’ of things you’d like to do, but for whatever reason haven’t quite got around to yet. I don’t know if I’ll manage to find ten things mind you, as I’ve already been around for nigh on 51 years, and managed to fulfil a lot of my dreams. But I’ll give it a go! No particular order of preference, as per usual. 1. ~ ~ Visit the USA. Seems a bit crazy this one, I know, since the cost of airfares to the States is so little these days. But for some strange reason it’s something that has somehow always seemed to get put on the ‘long finger’. (Irish for ‘put off’) I’ve always had an affinity and liking for America and Americans, and in particular admire their drive...

the_mad_cabbie 13.07.2002 · Read review
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Review of 10 Things to do before you die