Miller's Crossing

Rating:
Summary: A superbly crafted gangster film.
Review: Yes, FARGO won lots of awards, and sure, RAISING ARIZONA isuproariously funny, but make no mistake: MILLER'S CROSSING is thequintessential Coen brothers film. In point of fact, it's flawless, a jewel you can turn over and around in your hands again and again, seeing a new facet every time, each one striking and smooth and perfect.

The script is awash with Prohibition-era jargon both historically grounded and whimsically invented, a symphony of phrases and exchanges that linger and echo long after being heard. (It isn't unusual after a viewing to walk around asking friends, "What's the rumpus?", or to complain about being given "the high hat" upon being snubbed.)

The performances, as well, are individually and collectively irresistable. I defy you, in fact, to find a single film in which _any_ of the major players has ever been better. There's not a false or miscast note in the whole of the dramatis personae. There's Gabriel Byrne as the inscrutable, Machiavellian Tom Reagan, a trusted advisor to the city's Irish mob lord who falls out of favor and "defects" to the Italian camp to save his own skin...or does he? Albert Finney plays Leo, the aforementioned Irish power broker whose fists of iron, vicious survival instinct, and all-too-vulnerable heart congeal into a simply remarkable, unforgettable character. John Turturro is equal parts pathetic outcast and conniving opportunist as Bernie Birnbaum, the unscrupulous, vampirically pale bookmaker whose shady maneuvers set the whole plot into motion. Marcia Gay Harden exudes fierce intelligence and buckets of carefully-aimed sex appeal as Bernie's sister Verna, whose unflagging drive to protect her brother -- even from himself -- almost excuse her twisted machinations. J.E. Freeman drips evil and impending violence all over the screen as smarter-than-you-want-him-to-be enforcer Eddie Dane. Jon Polito, as hot-tempered Italian ringleader Johnny Caspar, may be the only character at hand to actually feel sorry for, as his oddly consistent ethical code makes it a sure bet he doesn't stand a chance in his environment.

There's more to say about the acting, of course, but I'll stop there rather than pour accolades onto the entire cast. And when I say "entire," I'm not exaggerating: every person who comes into frame, from the leads to the smaller parts to the people with one line or none at all, fit together and play off of each other as though they'd been born to do nothing else in their entire lives. The whole of it actually makes it difficult not to notice acting and casting problems in other films.

I'm running out of room here, so I can only nod to some of the other perfect elements of production. Barry Sonnenfeld's dead-on photography is measured and seamless where appropriate, frenetic where necessary. Set design and costuming make for such an astonishing illusion that were this not a color film, you might actually forget that it was released 9, not 69 years ago. And even the sound -- from the music (diegetic and otherwise) to the crystal-clear sound effects that pierce the visual and draw you in by the ears, like they're supposed to -- is a _presence_ in its own right throughout the film. I mean, when was the last time ice cubes dropping into an old-fashioned glass or the wringing out of an alcohol-soaked rag into a tinny dish felt truly woven into the designed effect of a scene in a movie?

What continues to amaze me about MILLER'S CROSSING is that no matter how many times I see it, regardless of how hard I look, I _can't find anything wrong with it_. That's an extremely rare situation in my experience. It's what we all want out of a movie, and almost never get. MILLER'S CROSSING delivers exactly that feeling, and when Tom Reagan leans against that tree and adjusts that hat in the haunting final shot, he knows it just as surely as we do. He doesn't seem to feel especially happy about it, but that's okay. _You_ will.

Rating:
Summary: A rare gem
Review: Directing, acting and script are unsurpassable. This is the best work ever made by the Coen Brothers. All the actors give the perfomances of their careers (specially Byrne and Turturro). Dialogues are fascinating. Mesmerising. Only Tarantino can match them. This movie is about friendship and loyalty; about love and integrity; about greed and deception. As one character says, it's about ethics. The key is Byrne, his moral ambiguity, and the choices he has to take in the course of the action: the way they are presented (and not explained) make this movie a masterwork, a true classic.

Rating:
Summary: The Coen Bros. at their finest!
Review: Forget Fargo, Barton Fink, even Raising Arizona... this is the best Coen Bros. movie to date. The brilliantly-written script centers around Gabriel Byrne's character, chief advisor to Albert Finney's mobster in Prohibition-era New York. Byrne begins an affair with the boss's girl, Verna, while Jon Polito, a rival mobster, begins moving into their territory. Then Byrne gets invovled with trying to protect Verna's brother, John Turturo, from both sides, all while trying to remain loyal to Finney. This is a smartly written and superbly acted film. I don't believe that there's one bad performance. Turturo and Byrne are definitely the stand-outs. Darkly humorous, engaging characters, and expertly directed, this one's a must-see!

Rating:
Summary: Without any doubt "The Best Film Ever Made"
Review: Miller's Crossing is without any doubt the best film ever made. I have seen this film 70-80 times and enjoy it every time. It is a film I can just watch over and over again. Its characters are some of best and most exciting ever put on screen. The J.E.Freeman and Gabriel Byrne are as brilliant as any actor or actress can be. The Coen brothers have created a film that will never be matched. It is the greatest film of all time.

Rating:
Summary: GREAT FILM
Review: In simply the best film ever by the Coen Brothers, Prohibition era mob films are jabbed at in a piercingly funny satire with the best credit sequence before Reservoir Dogs and Se7en and finally the acting is superb. Jon Polito is the coolest. Gabriel Byrne is wonderful.

Rating:
Summary: A superb offering from Joel & Ethan Coen
Review: Simply the best movie I have ever seen. Smart plot, outstanding actors, the best dialogue before Reservoir Dogs, exciting camera work, deeply rich brown and gold tones in every scene. Oh, man, I've got to go watch it again. If you haven't seen it, do so now. Don't spend another second of your life without seeing this movie.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent screenplay, excellent acting, excellent production
Review: The dialogue in this movie is absolutely superb. All the characters are brilliantly developed. Great acting performances, especially by Gabriel Byrne, J.E. Freeman, and of course Albert Finney. A gem.

Rating:
Summary: My all-time favorite gangster masterpiece
Review: I remember how angry I was when this film received mediocre to poor reviews from the popular movie critics. This film was and still is one of my all time favorite gangster movies. Watch this movie 5-10 times and you'll pick out something new each time. I can't wait for it to come out on DVD. Why isn't it on DVD yet?

Rating:
Summary: Gangster noir.
Review: Dark and powerful story of Irish gansters. It's interesting to see a gangster film that centers around an ethnic group other than Sicilians. It's fresh and fascinating. The underrated Gabriel Byrne and Marcia Gay Harden turn in stellar, complex performances and John Turturro has a chilling moment when he reveals how much of his supposed weakness is really manipulation. With this piece, the Coens add another chapter to their stark look at America. From Fargo to Miller's Crossing to Arizona, the Coens have revealed our sordid secrets through bleak, realistic storytelling and innovative direction. They know us.

Rating:
Summary: This is a fabulous movie
Review: I liked this movie so much that I watched it twice in one sitting. Each time you watch it you will catch another funny line or more detail that makes the movie that much more entertaining. The characters are superbly cast.. the plot is intriguing and the cinematography is second to none....