This late-career crime drama from director Sidney Lumet immerses us in guilt and dread. Emotionally, it’s like being trapped in a closet with your greatest regrets. Philip Seymour Hoffman and Ethan Hawke play financially desperate brothers who plan an ill-advised jewelry heist. When the robbery is botched, there are tragic repercussions for themselves, their father (Albert Finney) and the woman (Marisa Tomei) with whom they are both involved. As the noose tightens on these two men – Hawke is in a constant state of panic, while Hoffman’s assured façade crumbles in terrifying ways – Lumet never loosens up. He’s set up a deadly game of dominoes for his characters. If you’ve ever tried to cover up a mistake of your own, you’ll cringe as you watch those dominoes fall.
