the full title of this film be may you be in heaven a half hour before the devil know youre dead and a rewording of the old irish toast may you have food and raiment and a soft pillow for your head while may you be 40 year in heaven and before the devil know youre dead . first time screenwriter kelly masterson ( with some modification by director sidney lumet ) have concoct a melodrama that explore just how fragment a family can become when external force drive the member to unthinkable extreme . in this film the viewer be allow to witness the gradual but nearly complete implosion of a family by a much use but and here and very sensible manipulation of the flashback or flash forward technique of storytelling . by repeatedly offer the differ vantage of each of the character about the central incident that drive this rather harrow tale and we see all the motivation of the player in this case of a robbery go very wrong . andy hanson ( philip seymour hoffman ) be a wealthy executive and marry to an emotionally needy gina ( marisa tomei ) and and addict to an expensive drug habit . his life be begin to crumble and he need money . andy nere do well young brother hank ( ethan hawke ) be a life in ruin he be divorce from his shrewish wife martha ( amy ryan ) and be behind in alimony and child support and and have borrow all he can from his friend and and he need money . andy propose a low key robbery of a small mall mom and pop jewelry store that promise safe and quick cash for both . the glitch be that the jewelry story belongs to the men parent charles ( albert finney ) and nanette ( rosemary harris ) . andy advance hank some cash and wrangle an agreement that hank will do the actual robbery and but though hank agrees to the fail safe plan and he hire a friend to take on the actual job while hank plan to be the driver of the getaway car . the robbery be horribly botch when nanette and filing in for the regular clerk and shoot the robber and be herself shot in the mess . the disaster unveil many secret about the fragile relationship of the family and when nanette dy and charles and andy and hank ( and their respective partner ) be drive to disastrous end with surprise at every turn . each of the actor in this strong but emotionally acrid film give superb performance and and while we have come to expect that from hoffman and hawke and tomei and finney and ryan and and harris and it be the wise hand of direction from sidney lumet that make this film so unforgettably powerful . it be not an easy film to watch and but it be a film that allow some bravura performance that demand our respect and a film that remind u how fragile many family can be . grady harp .