• The great auteur Sidney Lumet proves that at age 83 he still has it. The film is a completely enthralling morality play that is strategically edited and filled with great performances
  • It has much in common with Woody Allen’s match point and Dostoevsky which makes sense given the influence of the Russian author on allen’s work
  • It’s still a lumet new york story even if its set in Westchester—we have the strip mall with the new york kosher deli
  • Features a superb carter burwell score—burwell is the coen brothers composter and this one reminds me of both blood simple and fargo
  • The non-linear narrative structure works like a tightening vice on our two leads here
  • Reoccurring scenes in the same bar feel a little stage-like or low budgety—but I do like the reoccurring scenes bedside (usually featuring a topless marisa tomei- who is superb in her performance here)
  • Along with tomei the supporting actors are terrific- we have amy ryan, a right near the top tier performance from albert finney and michael shannon absolutely owns his two scenes—the two leads are even better—with have ethan hawke as the shaggy dog loser and PSH as an icy snake with a ton of baggage. Phillip Seymour Hoffman gives the best performance here—the scene in the car where he is furious with his father for finally apologizing is a devastating scene
  • Outside of some editing transitions that feel a little dated (it quickly goes back and forth between two images to a louder non digetic noise) lumet shows no sign of age
  • Small touches like the guy passed out due to drugs on the bed is obese and this make PSH even angrier because it sort of looks like him is a great small cinematic moment
  • One big draw of the film is finding out what motives would possess these two brothers to do this
  • Fringy top 10 but ultimately I’m calling it just a Recommend