Before the Devil Knows your Dead is directed by Sydney Lumet and has an enviable cast including Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ethan Hawke, Marisa Tomei and Albert Finney – all very fine actors.

Sydney Lumet also directed Serpico, one of my favourite films of all time. What could possibly go wrong?

Well, here’s what could go wrong: Take one really crap, standard fare, predictable Hollywood movie script, throw all the talent you can find at it, and it’s STILL GOING TO BE A CRAP SCRIPT.

What were they thinking, getting involved in this. The only thing I can think is that they all signed up because Lumet was directing, and he forgot to read the script.

The film tells the story of two brothers who get decide to stick up a jewellery shop, with the best of non-violent-robbery intentions, but (hey, don’t tell me you guessed it) it all goes horribly wrong.

Some of the film is shot very well, but extemely horrible editing ruins a large portion of it. I think Lumet was trying to get all arty with us and show the distance between Philip Seymour Hoffman’s character and his wife by rarely showing them in the same shot, but for some conversations they have this results in some unbelievably choppy watching.

The film also utilises that oh so jaded technique of messing with the timeline, for absolutely no good reason. This was a straightforward tale that gained nothing by hopping about in that way. Stop it people, you are just devaluing films like Pulp Fiction, Memento and 21 Grams.

To be fair there is also some great acting. Philip Seymour Hoffman in particular gives a masterclass in how to come out of a stinker of a script smelling of roses.

This film is watchable, but not good.

Oh, Marisa Tomei looks amazing in it. She doesn’t have much of a role though.