Though early on this was tipped to be a major awards contender, it soon got lost amidst the crowded chaos that was awards season 07. Even though it was directed by Oscar nominee Sidney Lumet (Network!!!!) , a man the Academy still has yet to reward in a competitive category (he has a Lifetime Achievement award), it simply didn't get the exposure it deserved; this is a shame. While I'm not sure if this would crack my Top 10 of last year, it definitely ranks as one of the better films in the best year of this decade. The story concerns brothers Andy (Phillip Seymour Hoffman) and Hank (Ethan Hawke), who plot to rob their parents' jewelry store in order to fix their own financial troubles. However, something goes wrong and the film spends a lot of its time following the after effects....but not all of it. Abandoning traditional storytelling, Lumet and screenwriter Kelly Masterson open the film with the day of the robbery. The rest of the film pieces together the events leading up to the robbery as well as the aftermath, sometimes jumping far ahead before rewinding. Surprisingly this doesn't result in any headaches for the audience; it never jumbles up the time frame so much that one can't tell what in the hell is going on. The film is also bolstered by Hoffman and Hawke's first rate performances, supported strongly by Albert Finney (as Andy and Hank's father) and Marisa Tomei (as Andy's somewhat flaky wife). The only part of the film that leaves more room to be desired is the end section. Though much of the story is resolved, one can't help but feel like saying, "but what about blankety blank and blank?" after the very final scene and the fade to the closing credits. It's a shame, because up until that last moment, everything was going so very well.
Grade: A-
Nominations (2007): Best Original Screenplay - Kelly Masterson (#5)
Number of 2007 Films seen: 62
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