Review of Miller's Crossing (1990) by Brian C — 16 Jan 2014
Of course the Coen brothers made a masterpiece out of this one, I mean, they're the Coen brothers. Anyway, this is up there with the first two Godfather's and the same year's Goodfellas as one of the greatest gangster movies of all time.
The period recreation is phenomenal, with sets and costumes that imply the work of a time machine and not designers. The dialogue is some of the best ever written, with witty one-liners, intimidating threats, and dirty double crosses driving one of the densest, most twisting plots imaginable; it's the kind of story where trying to follow it is as fun as following it itself.
Actors get lost in their roles; Turturro's scene in the woods with Gabriel Byrne is quite possibly the finest bit of acting in any Coen brothers film; raw emotional power at it's most hard-hitting.
And no gangster film would be complete without some good violence, and there are a few moments here that rival the best of Scarface (the "Danny Boy" scene must be seen to be believed). Miller's Crossing is the kind of movie that makes me love movies in general.
This review of Miller's Crossing (1990) was written by Brian C on 16 Jan 2014.
Miller's Crossing has generally received very positive reviews.
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