Review of Miller's Crossing (1990) by Siew P — 04 May 2010

I remember seeing this years ago in my early adulthood during a strange period when my oldest brother and I had both found ourselves back at Mom's house after one thing or another brought us to bust on our own. He and I had never gotten to bond, really. As he was the oldest of three much older brothers, he left for college as my earliest memories were reaching real clarity. So having him move back in with Mom at the same time I did was an opportunity to plumb his vast knowledge of pop-culture. It is a period which, to this day, has shaped the way I look at movies, TV, and comics.

I remember watching this, one of his favorite movies, and thinking that the hit-scenes were pretty cool, and wishing that Steve Buscemi had more time on-screen. Don't ask me why. I'm much older and wiser now, and last night after DVRing the movie off FMC, I got to watch it again for the first time with more refined and grown-up sensibilities.

This is a gangster story with Coen Brothers flair. It made me laugh to see John Polito as a Capone-style Italian gangster pleading his case in the beginning to the Irish overlord Leo to let him kill one particular thorn in his side as a matter of ethics. This kind of moral juxtaposition sets the tone for the entire film. It's a love story as well, albeit a tragic one. It's a drama with character in spades, and no shortage of comedy if you have an eye for the Coens' weird ability to stage shots in such a way as to make you giggle, even when you're not sure why.

Any Coen Brothers fan or gangster movie fan who has not yet seen this twenty year old gem would do well to. If you haven't seen it in ages, see it again.