Answering the top criticisms of the story
An IMDb reviewer from July 29, 2014, gave the movie 1/10 stars based on what he thought were 14 ironclad criticisms. Actually, everyone of these complaints can be easily explained from obvious data in the film itself:
1. Brothers are desperately in need of money, nobody knows why and yet they have good jobs.
The older brother was hooked on heroin or some similar drug and was purchasing it at some high society drug den, not to mention his hot wife didn't work. The younger brother had a lowly office job in an expensive city and had to pay child support.
2. They work at the same company, but when they first meet in the movie, it seems they haven't seen each other in ages.
The older brother was middle management and in charge of payroll whereas the younger brother, again, was a lowly office worker, a low-man on the totem pole. It's likely that the older brother got him the job.
3. Parents live too modestly for jewelry shop owners and don't help out (at least a bit) their sons, who need some money.
It was a small "mom and pop" operation and, while not filthy rich, they looked like they were doing just fine for themselves. Also, consider the fact that they were (obviously) from an older generation who weren't into the so-called "high society" lifestyle.
As far as the parents not giving their kids money, it's clear that the sons didn't have a close relationship with the father; the older one even stated that he wished it was his dad who got shot in the store that morning, not his mother. Moreover, the father was clearly a penny pincher. Despite this, I'm sure the parents shelled out money to both sons a number of times in the past, but it likely became an ongoing thing and so the dad put a stop to it at some point so that they'd stand on their own two feet.
4. Sons decide to rob their own parent's shop. (Being their own parents, couldn't they try to scam their jewelry?)
Yes, because they both used to work there and knew the shop inside & out; so the older son thought they could get away with the crime and that it would be "victimless." In his mind he deemed it the perfect crime.
5. Mother is alone in the shop with all the jewelry and leaves door unlocked.
Obviously because it was around opening time.
6. Robber is a complete moron and acts like a teenager. Instead of avoiding getting heard by someone, he is all the time screaming on the top of his lungs.
He was hardly "screaming at the top of his lungs," more like speaking authoritatively in order to intimidate the worker (who turned out to be the mother).
7. Son visits a pawnbroker before (!) the coup and gives his card to him, leaving a trace.
He wanted to make sure he could quickly sell the jewelry before going through with the crime and thought he could trust the pawnbroker because the pawnbroker made his living off of the evil of others, as he later told the father.
Giving the pawnbroker his card was obviously a mistake, but it seemed like they knew each other, albeit vaguely and from the distant past. Also, keep in mind that the older son was a serious drug-addict and therefore not the brightest crayon in the box. He was walking around in a drug-addled fog, which isn't conducive to wisdom, to say the least.
8. Drug dealer leaves safe door always open with a lot of money in it.
It was a "high society" drug den in a skyscraper where appointments were required, and only one client was served at a time. Since the client would be unconscious during the session and the door was locked, the gay host likely felt everything was secure. Beyond that, he DID bring a gun to the door when clients came. Beyond this, chalk it up to foolish, arrogant complacency after years of "success" in the business.
9. Wife practically hates her husband for having no money, yet she sleeps frequently with his brother, who has even less money (and is a loser).
Actually, he wasn't a loser. He lived in an expensive city and had a decent job. Yes, he was divorced and owed child support, but that didn't make him a "loser."
As for the hot wife, she stated in the movie why she met him once a week -- simple sexual gratification. The younger brother was in perfect shape, single, young and obviously a good sex partner. Simply put, their relationship was about sex, not money.
10. Wife leaves her husband, but has not a single penny, not even to buy a mere bus ticket or pay a taxi.
She likely had money for the taxi, but not much beyond that, which is why she requested money from the hubby before actually departing. Also, keep in mind that the husband was blowing tons of money on his secret drug addiction and so she didn't have a lot of money on hand.
11. Brother of the widow meets the guy he is blackmailing at his own sister's apartment, where she is with her child, exposing them to a dangerous situation.
It's a legitimate point, but the movie portrays the guy (Michael Shannon) as uber-arrogant, not to mention that he didn't respect Ethan Hawke's character as formidable in any way after their initial meeting.
12. Hoffman goes with Hawke to the blackmailer to kill him, instead of keeping all the money for himself and fleeing the country, since he didn't care much for his brother and was very angry with him anyway.
It was only $10,000, not even close to enough money to start a new life in another country.
13. Father tells the nurse, there is a problem with the heart machine and she doesn't come to check, telling him to switch the machine off and on again, like this happens all the time.
Because, like she said, it did frequently happen. Beside, the father wasn't acting like the situation was anything serious, like a matter of life and death.
14. Son is killed by the father (who just hours before asked him for forgiveness) and can be seeing leaving the room, yet nobody runs after him.
In regards to the first part: This was before the father discovered that the older son was the ringleader responsible for the crime, which resulted in the death of his dear wife.
In regards to the second: The medical workers were running to the bedside of the patient to see what was wrong; meanwhile the father slips out. Besides, why would they think the patient's father would his son? In any case, he would've been caught soon enough and ultimately sentenced to prison. This is a given. The father didn't care any more. He was old, his wife was gone, his sons were criminal, traitorous scum, and he considered his life over. In his vengeful mind, killing the older son was worth the price to satisfy his passion for justice & revenge.
My 150 (or so) favorite movies:
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