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What Doesn't Kill You
 
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What Doesn't Kill You (2008)

Starring: Ethan Hawke, Mark Ruffalo Director: Brian Goodman Rating: R (Restricted) Format: DVD
3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)

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Product Details

  • Actors: Ethan Hawke, Mark Ruffalo, Brian Goodman, Amanda Peet, Will Lyman
  • Directors: Brian Goodman
  • Writers: Brian Goodman, Donnie Wahlberg, Paul T. Murray
  • Producers: Bob Yari, Marc Frydman, Peter R. McIntosh, Rod Lurie
  • Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
  • Language: English
  • Subtitles: English
  • Region: Region 1 encoding (US and Canada only)
    PLEASE NOTE:
    Some Region 1 DVDs may contain Regional Coding Enhancement (RCE). Some, but not all, of our international customers have had problems playing these enhanced discs on what are called "region-free" DVD players. For more information on RCE, click here.
  • Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
  • Number of discs: 1
  • Rating: R (Restricted)
  • Studio: Sony Pictures
  • DVD Release Date: April 28, 2009
  • Run Time: 100 minutes
  • Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
  • ASIN: B001T6KW4S
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #12,950 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)
  • For more information about "What Doesn't Kill You" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Mark Ruffalo is terrific in What Doesn't Kill You as a South Boston career criminal who since his early teens has done "errands" for the neighborhood crimelord and never considered any other way of making a living. It's the sort of performance wherein the actor so wholly inhabits the character that his every glance, stride, or hesitation is a glimpse into the guy's soul, even as the guy is a person of modest intelligence not given to complex self-expression. That's fascinating to watch (and this may be Ruffalo's career-best work), but it nudges us toward recognizing the film's limitations as well as its core strength. What Doesn't Kill You is an actors' movie; Brian Goodman, its co-writer and first-time director, is himself an actor and plays the gang boss. Virtually every scene is an occasion for actors to conspire in creating a believable texture of life going on. The cast all repay watching, especially Ethan Hawke as Ruffalo's lifelong pal and Amanda Peet as the long-suffering wife who seems to have stepped right out of a Southie kitchen. But there's only the barest outline of a screenplay. We get what every scene is supposed to be about, but they're mostly pieces of things, indications rather than scenes that flow and build; it's a little like seeing a feature-length compression of an entire season of The Wire. Although a foreword announces that "the story you are about to see is true," it's also a pretty familiar story as crime movies go. So, as a genre entry, What Doesn't Kill You disappoints, and its flashback structure--after an opening armored-car robbery scene heavy with dire portent--proves to be a bit of a cheat. Yet for all its shortcomings, the film compels sympathy, especially when it finally locates its eminently human heart during the final half-hour. --Richard T. Jameson


Product Description

Brian (Mark Ruffalo) and Paulie (Academy Award® nominee Ethan Hawke, Best Actor In a Supporting Role for Training Day, 2001) are two lifelong friends who grew up like brothers on the gritty streets of south Boston. They started early as street thugs living by the criminal code, doing petty crimes and misdemeanors that grew increasingly more serious. Eventually they fall under the sway of organized crime boss Pat Kelly (Brian Goodman). As Brian becomes increasingly lost in a haze of drugs and 'jobs,' he consistently disappoints his loyal wife (Amanda Peet) and their two sons. Torn between the desire to be a good husband and the lure of easy money, Brian must make the hardest choice of his life.

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Customer Reviews

15 Reviews
5 star:
 (2)
4 star:
 (9)
3 star:
 (1)
2 star:
 (2)
1 star:
 (1)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
3.6 out of 5 stars (15 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars And yet another kids to criminals to wake up call movie, May 7, 2009
By Grady Harp (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)      
This film is yet another rehash of that glut of films about kids who begin lives of crime early on, go to jail, and come out either enlightened or unchanged. Set in South Boston, WHAT DOESN'T KILL YOU happens to star some fine actors in Mark Ruffalo, Ethan Hawke, and Amanda Peet, and their presence makes the film watchable. It is just tiresome to watch repeats an this 'bad kid' (Ruffalo) turned junkie turned convict turned negligent husband and father turned AA whose ability to make decent decisions finds him clueless until the end of the film.

The flavor of South Boston and prison and petty crimes becoming major crimes is well paced by writer/director/actor Brian Goodman. But this rambling story is ultimately boring - except for the pleasure of watching Mark Ruffalo inhabit this loser of a character. An OK movie, not a great one. Grady Harp, May 09
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars A solid performance film, an average Blu, April 24, 2009
I was pleasantly surprised in seeing this excellent minimalist crime drama by first-time writer/director (and former jail occupant) Brian Goodman. For as little as the Blu format gets tested with this film though, I still appreciated the landscapes being preserved in 1080 to give this a decent rating.

The story centers on two childhood friends in South Boston and their 20+ year span of semi-organized crime, drugs and family life. Ethan Hawke and Mark Ruffalo both give outstanding performances with all of their usual nuances, and even a few new ones; Hawke's voice and demeanor has changed significantly of late. The trailer shows most of the action in the film, but just expect a well crafted dialogue and bleak visuals story about crime, addiction and loss.

The outer channels get used very little except for two or three gun scenes, and the picture clarity was all about seeing Boston in winter. There were actually no colors in the entire film except for one scene in the jail (bright yellow fencing). This would be more of a display test for your whites, blacks and silver hues. The supplements contain some standard deleted scenes, a typical "everyone is awesome" behind the scenes and a commentary with also first-time writer Donnie Wahlberg (has a small supporting role).

Not a technically outstanding Blu, but a worthy owner for fans of the actors, even for the Amanda Peet followers, she showed the best I have seen in her since she started.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Great true story about responsibility and choices, May 14, 2009
Where do I begin? Acting - top class. Cinematography - terrific. Story - what can be better than real life stories?
"This is me, this is what I do." Brian (Mark Ruffalo) to his wife - played by Amanda Peet.
He is a Boston criminal. He doesn't know any better and neither does his friend Paulie (Ethan Hawke). Both have been doing jobs for their boss since they were kids.
Things go quite well at first. Brian makes a living. Nothing special but he and his family are doing all right. Then drugs get in the way and he loses control. A job goes wrong and both Brian and Paulie end up in jail.
There Brian finally realizes what he was throwing away all this time. A loving wife who still holds on to him, two great kids, love.
To me the best moment in the film is a scene after Brian is back home from prison and he talks to his eldest son on the porch. He knows he can't let them down again. If he does he will lose everything he ever had.
So he makes a choice, takes the last chance he's got. To be there for those who love him and not to deceive them again. He is strong and together they will make it.
As I said before, great acting by the entire cast, Mark, Ethan, Amanda, but also the kids, the crime boss (Brian Goodman - also first time director).
I loved Mark in Zodiac, Amanda in Syriana and Ethan in Training Day but here they are even better.
Most of the story takes place during the winter and although it's often sunny they toned down the colors adding a little to the weight of the drama.
The Blu-ray is marvelous. Crisp when needed (not overdone thank God) with the winter sun, yet at the same time tolerating a certain softness which adds to the intimacy and warmth.
Get it.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

2.0 out of 5 stars thugs in the city
The whole theme of this movie seems to be we should see these thugs
as people? They are out beating up and robbing people from the time they are kids. Read more
Published 22 days ago by R. Bagula

4.0 out of 5 stars Very Realistic Crime Drama
This is a very realistic crime drama. Of course, it is based on a true story. The acting is sincere all around and definitely draws you in.
Published 1 month ago by A. Blatt

2.0 out of 5 stars Formulaic
Despite a great cast, this story is another in the "South Boston" boys gone wrong genre. Morever, the first three-quarters of the film is jumbled, dimly lit and uninspired. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Cary B. Barad

4.0 out of 5 stars a gritty Boston tale
Well told and acted. Lots of Boston scenes and faces. How did they get in jail to film this? A better than average true tale story.
Published 5 months ago by John Bowes

4.0 out of 5 stars Ruffalo and Hawke Shine in Crime Drama
"What Doesn't Kill You" reminded me of such episodic gangster pictures as "Goodfellas" and "Once Upon a Time in America. Read more
Published 5 months ago by The Movie Man

1.0 out of 5 stars Not Another Petty Crime, Drugs Movie
How many rehashes of movies about kids growing up in an impoverished neighborhood get guns, pursue drugs, petty crime, time locked up and get out to do it all over again are we... Read more
Published 6 months ago by G. Teslovich

4.0 out of 5 stars Gritty drama about two flawed individuals
"What Doesn't Kill You" is a drama of substance, and the compelling performances of Mark Ruffalo and Ethan Hawke elevate this above just another formulaic story about two... Read more
Published 6 months ago by z hayes

5.0 out of 5 stars THOUGHT PROVOKING
the review by J. K. Hinton nails it pretty good. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. Hawke & Ruffalo are fantastic in their respective roles. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Baddstuff

4.0 out of 5 stars Worthwhile for the actors alone
Take equal parts The Wire, The Departed, and other gang/drug related stories, mix, and you end up getting What Doesn't Kill You. Read more
Published 6 months ago by N. Durham

4.0 out of 5 stars Environmental influences breeding sociopathy...a true story.
Mark Ruffalo (Brian) and Ethan Hawke (Paulie) are childhood friends, growing up on the mean-streets of South Boston. Read more
Published 6 months ago by J. K. Hinton

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