Review of Miller's Crossing (1990) by Asif K — 14 Oct 2011
A man in over his head. Tom Reagan (Gabriel Byrne), a smart mouth gangster, gets caught in the middle of a power struggle between two crime bosses in the 1930's. This is a movie that frequently gets forgotten when talks of classic crime movies come up, and unfairly so.
There is The Godfather and Goodfellas, but this really isn't too far behind those two; this is a class A gangster movie. I would recommend that you don't watch this sleepy eyed, though; this is a densely packed story, with so much being revealed in conversation that it merits multiple viewings, and I just eat it up.
Gabriel Byrne is SO captivating in the leading role, and most of what happens to him is bad; you are on the edge of your seat watching this guy manage an impossible situation that there is no good way out of.
There's a flawless supporting cast surrounding him, with the biggest standouts being Albert Finney as a crime boss, but even moreso J.E. Freeman as The Dane; he doesn't say much, but he has a way of letting you know that he is the biggest badass in the room by saying less.
It's wonderfully scored, there are no noticeable anachronisms that pull you out of the movie, and it has all the quality that you should expect from a Coen brother's film. If you like crime movies and you haven't seen this, you should do yourself a favor and remedy that posthaste.
This review of Miller's Crossing (1990) was written by Asif K on 14 Oct 2011.
Miller's Crossing has generally received very positive reviews.
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