MovieChat Forums > Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (2007) Discussion > What was up with Gina?

What was up with Gina?

posted 10 years ago by vestitude
7 replies | jump to latest

I'm amazed no one has mentioned this yet. What was up with Gina?

She always talks and moves with this weird, flirty, teeny-bopper, dream-like demeanor. Is she on Valium or something? Like after the funeral when Hank calls--an emotionally frantic call, as we later find out--she answers in a cute and flirty voice, despite Andy walking nearby. She has an obvious oral fixation with her constant lip biting and she always seems like she just woke up from a nap. She appears to be oblivious to everything that's going on.

And then the obvious paradox: Why was she with Andy? She could have been explained as a typical trophy wife if not for the fact that Andy was a "gopher" at his workplace when they met. He never had anything to offer her on any level--material, emotional, sexual. It just doesn't make any sense. I saw somewhere that she may be "insecure," and Andy made her feel wanted, but that still doesn't properly explain things. She would have been hit on by guys everywhere she went. There's no way Andy was the first guy to do this, and he certainly wouldn't be the first guy to manipulate her insecurities.

[–] DirectorzCut 10 years ago

That's acting, man. The character was supposed to be like that.

In fact, I have never liked Tomei before but I just loved her in this one. Her voice was like listening to an angel. It was fun to see her do something odd because I know her as a smart femme fatale from movies like "The Lincoln Lawyer".

[–] PaulDowsett 9 years ago

I've probably seen her in things in the past, but don't remember her specifically. However, for me, she was about the only reason to watch this movie. It's a shame it didn't all centre on her character instead.

[–] PopperTheKungFu-Dragon 9 years ago

That's just the way Marisa Tomei is 

Like after the funeral when Hank calls--an emotionally frantic call, as we later find out--she answers in a cute and flirty voice, despite Andy walking nearby.

I didn't think the voice was flirty at all. In fact, at first I assumed she was talking with a girlfriend or something until we see who it is later.

Very good. But brick not hit back!

[–] 9 years ago

[deleted]

[–] mariasrt 8 years ago

I agree; she was the person I could understand the least. Also, what a wicked decision to reveal to your partner whose mother just died that you are sleeping with his brother -and not even tell the other brother about it.
It seems that everyone in this film were totally self-absorbed.

[–] noveltylibrary65 (200) 4 years ago

I have to believe she was on drugs because I didn't get her behavior at all. Or why she was with him. Good post!

[–] ecarle (14979) 2 years ago

Marisa Tomei never made it as a big box office star. One reason was that attempts to position her in "typical romantic leads in typical romantic fluff" (Like Only You) just didn't work. She seems to work better as "a supporting star" with her beauty(girl-next-door one minute, va-va-voom femme fatale the next) invariably stealing scenes from the other actors and(for a lot of us males) blinding us to her beauty at the expense of the story itself.

And here she is, capturing a character whose sexuality blinds the men on the screen and attracts us --and who proves pretty messed up as the movie goes along.

One thing I noticed was how she wore "mourning black" to her mother-in-law's memorial service -- a very low cut breast dress that said "I only know how to dress like a stripper." Her whole mentality is sexual, that's one reason she's there sexually for both brothers.

On the other hand, Tomei knows how to hit the emotionally notes, too -- trying to deal with her husband's breakdown(she's not entirely Unsympathetic to his plight), her voice cracking in sadness as she realizes she is losing not only him, but the meal ticket (and he no longer WAS a meal ticket, he was broke.)

She seems to have chosen the heavyset older brother as a husband for the financial security, and the cute weak younger brother as a lover for the sex..but rewarded the husband with sex as well. Very generous of her.

In the end, this is a movie about people whose moral compass is already off to start with...the brothers are soon into a criminal enterprise, Tomei's sexual and financial demands are driving it somewhat. I'm reminded of the other woman in the movie -- the wife/girlfriend of the robber with the gun ("He never would have rented a car -- he just would have stolen one.") They are all crooks, potential crooks...failed crooks.

Tomei's character fits right in.