Review of Miller's Crossing (1990) by Callum R — 23 Dec 2008

There is something bizarrely abstract about the way this Coen gangster flick is presented. From the pits of Irish prohibition this enjoyable criminal thriller experiences the customary comparisons of the genre to heavy weight champions ?The Godfather? and ?Goodfellas? and while part three of the G was released in the same year (as was Goodfellas incidentally) Miller?s Crossing chose to be less epic in its endeavours and perhaps this is why the film is successful because it never reaches the untouchable and never tries to beat The Godfather which is wise move for the Coen?s. They try to ignore previous glories and focus on their own outstanding picture. A story of unfortunate events which leads a man to double cross gang leaders and the one he loves as he improvises to the situations he finds himself in. He lies and lies to everyone and anyone to suit his own set of moral principles. There is something poetically beautiful about this film and there is a real sense of craft and hard work. While The Godfather was more heavy on characters which ?made? each scene, Miller?s Crossing relies on everything, from the style of shoot, to the music and the characters, something which is common from the Coen?s whose crisply concise expertly handled pieces of works are usually never a minute too long. Maybe they were unsure how to handle such a genre without going overboard, however there is some reminiscent of Once Upon A Time In The West in my view (though there is no real introduction to the setting). The Coen?s dive headfirst in the genre, and even now I cannot make my mind up whether these extremely violent deceitful tale has gone the right way. Further watches will be required. Miller?s Crossing has some very amiable characters who make the whole seriousness less severe with their infrequent comical performances. This touch of light relief the Coen?s have implemented makes the noir feel less bulky and much more easier to digest. The characters interaction therefore is less strained and more natural. We as an audience feel for these people who make their choices up as they go along. This unpredictability is what makes Miller?s Crossing such an avid film to watch. With outstanding acting all round the few scenes which can really be drawn always have Turtorro at the centre. Main character Gabriel Byrne is brilliant as Tom and love interest Marica Harden depicts her role well. If there?s one problem with Miller?s crossing (and it is not its fault) is the fact that the genre has been milked for all its worth. The film is brilliant with a great cast but there are time that it lacks originality, and has to fall on to the Coen?s unique way of shooting to make it fresh. With some great execution of graphic violence in humorous ways, the Coen?s know how to make light of everything, and while it is not till the second half that a black yet amusing element is quietly put in, it really does make the gangster flick more enjoyable. As the film progresses the audience can relax slightly. After a mind-numbing introduction to a lot of characters the scene is finally set. The Coen?s must have done something right, the story of Kim?s A Bittersweet Life is in this flick somewhere. As with their other films Miller?s Crossing does not waste a minute. The film is outstanding, and while as mentioned with Fargo I find it hard to rate non-epics highly this beautiful, fun and very reachable gangster flick never requires the audience to do too much exhausting work (thankfully). An accessible mafia flick for all, which makes a first for the renowned genre. You should definitely watch this.

Re-rated (15).

Total Running Time: 110 Minutes.

Final Score: 9.1/10.