Review of Miller's Crossing (1990) by Zac M — 13 Aug 2011

A fairly authentic prohibition-era gangster flick with under-tones of dark humor and irony. Joel and Ethan Coen have created a masterful and believable gang war staged against a 1930's back drop. Being a Coen brothers' film there is a possibility some people will not see it on the principle of that fact, but I assure you this is unlike any other film the brothers have worked on.

The cast is quite phenomenal with Gabriel Byrne and Albert Finney promoting the strongest of performances. Leo(Albert Finney) is an empowered Irish crime boss who seemingly begins to lose faith in his own ability to control the city when his judgment is clouded by love and a rival crime boss is trying to take over.

Tom Reagan(Gabriel Byrne), Leo's right hand man attempts to alleviate the situation but to Tom's dismay only complicates things for himself, which results in him being kicked out of the crime family.

From here Tom appears to be going on a seemingly wild goose chase which ultimately leads to a satisfying yet traditional climax. "Miller's Crossing" could have been a bit more gritty with it's camera shots and little more forgiving with it's sometimes complex dialogue, but those are fairly minor gripes compared to the movie as a whole.

I highly recommend this to anyone that has a passion for mob/gang related films, as this is quite possibly one of the best.