Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ethan Hawke, Albert Finney, Marisa Tomei, Rosemary Harris

As I see it, there are two types of people in this world � those that wear a helmet when riding a bike, and those that don�t. Since the lead characters in �� are seemingly just asking for trouble, I�m betting they skipped the head protection.

After the rather so-so Vin Diesel-starring courtroom comedy, ''Find Me Guilty'', veteran filmmaker Sidney Lumet, director of such meaty classics as �Serpico� and �Prince of the City�, makes a welcome return to form � and the backstreets of New York - with this engrossing, smartly-written and proficiently-directed crime drama about two brothers who plot to rob their own parent�s jewellery store.

Storytelling at its smartest and most engaging, the fleshy pic spills out in Rashamon-style as we hear from the central figures affected by the abovesaid robbery � including the two in-debt brothers (Ethan Hawke and Philip Seymour Hoffman) and the doting husband and father (Albert Finney) whose coming apart at the seams � which was always intended to be a �victimless� straight-forward smash n�grab, but goes awry.

If you�ve seen the trailer, you�ll have been exposed to one of the film�s shocking twists. If you haven�t googled the preview though don�t � it�ll be a much more surprising and entertaining experience coming into this one fresh. It�s one of those rare occasions where you don�t see what�s coming next.

Kelly Masterson�s script has it all � double-crossing, murder, lies � embossed in a devilish morality tale. Accompanied by Lumet�s superb direction and the bravura performances of its cast (Hawke�s much more at home in meaty drama like this than he is in commercial junk like �Taking Lives�), it�s a wholly-satisfying package.

Nice to see the return of the super-solid drama.

Rating :
Reviewer : Clint Morris