Miller's Crossing (1990)

Posted : 1 year, 5 months ago at May 31 6:29

"Tell Leo he's not God on the throne, he's just a cheap political boss with more hair tonic than brains." Miller's Crossing is an outstanding gangster drama made prior to the Coen Brothers developing into a massive household name. Even in their early days, the duo consisting of Joel and Ethan Coen could produce movies executed with articulate cinematography, witty dialogue and suspenseful action. It's fascinating that the Coen Brothers were able to successfully nail the gangster genre in one attempt with a screenplay they penned themselves. Miller's Crossing relies solely on its character development to flesh out the plot. Instead of sincerely delving into the lives of several characters, the film is concerned with one man in particular: Tom Reagan (Byrne). Tom is a wise guy and a l...Read more

Rating : 8/10

Posted : 2 years, 1 month ago at Oct 8 20:48

Prohibition era. 1940. Tom Reagan (Gabriel Byrne) works as an advisor for Leo (Jon Polito), a crime boss. His rival boss is Johnny Caspar. They are fighting over a bookie, Bernie Bernbaum (John Turturro), who has been cheating Caspar. Soon, Bernie is wanted dead. But Leo is protecting him because he's dating Bernie's sister, Verna (Marcia Gay Harden). Tom tries to keep the peace but instead, he finds himself in the middle of a war, and after admitting that he fooled around with Verna, Leo kicks him out. Tom joins Caspar's team, but Caspar's henchman Eddie Dane (J.E. Freeman) is suspicious of Tom and his intentions. Very good movie. Good script. Hilarious at times. Memorable lines. Witty dialogue. Well directed. Absolutely wonderful cast. Another title for the film might be "Tom's go...Read more

Rating : 7/10