Millers Crossing Review

Miller's Crossing

Director: Joel Coen

Stars: Gabriel Byrne, Albert Finney, John Turturro, Marcia Gay Harden, Jon Polito, J.E. Freeman & Steve Buscemi

Running Time: 115 mins

Release: 18^th January 1991

Set during the prohibition either set in North New Jersey or some part of New York it does not really define where. The film is about Leo (Finney) a head of an Irish gang who runs the city and his dear friend and his second lieutenant Tom Reagan (Byrne). When Leo's underling Johnny Caspar (Polito) wants Bernie (Turturro) dead as he's untrustworthy and could undermine them, Leo refuses as he is his 'girl' Verna's (Harden) brother.

Caspar offers Tom an offer to even everything between himself and Leo and pay off Tom's debt if he hands over Bernie. Tom sits on the fence about and later get's himself thrown out of Leo's gang by unearthing that he's slept with Verna, he then joins Caspar and finds he's loyalty is divided and if has a human heart at all. It's a loose take on The Glass Key. The film is also injected with black humour.

I have to say the acting in this film is absolutely phenomenal, everyone is perfect in there roles.

I am familiar with Gabriel Byrne though I have not seen him in a film before and in a leading role for that matter. As he's Irish he does not need to put on a accent. He's morally ambiguous, charming, intelligent, cunning and knows the ins and out's of how to play his hand and keeps himself clean so he does not do the dirty work himself. He's only out to look after himself, the only real loyalty he had was to Leo. Though he's not a gumshoe but a gangster he feels somewhat to me like a gumshoe in some aspects, also like many gumshoes he takes a bit of beating. He's a antihero and likeable and one of the most iconic in my opinion. He has some of the best lines e.g 'Sister, when I have raised hell, you'll know it !' and ' Old war wound. Acts up around morons.' He is also a hard drinker and has a dry sense of humour. I read that he's hat has some significance whilst I was watching the film, I won't spoil it for you.

I have never seen Albert Finney in a film recently though I have seen him in Tim Burton's Big Fish & The Corpse Bride and remembered him from Erin Brockovich. He's not that much in the film. Despite Tom being his right hand man, he does not heed his advice despite how ruthless Tom is, he believes in his heart, not his head. He has the most absolute bad ass scene I have ever seen on film, two of Caspar's hoods try to assassinate him, but he's cunning and senses they are coming and blows them away, it's really audacious and a bit unrealistic as he never reloads but it does not take away from the scene at all and to top it off he smokes a cigar and looks completely relaxed and ' Oh Danny Boy' is playing in the background till he runs out of ammo it's simply amazing. He's a very likeable gangster but to me he feels more like a businessman and all he wants is to keep things as they are. It's a brilliant performance by Finney.

Marcia Gay Harden plays Verna the young woman that Tom and Leo falls for, she is incredibly loyal to her brother despite how conniving he is The true extent is shown through dialogue which I am not going to spoil for you. She's not really a femme fatale but a 'heel' as she calls herself, she can look after herself and more than capable to hold her own and wield a gun.Also she has a look that's much like the classic starlets of that era of which the film is set in.

John Turturro is an underrated actor and like in To Live and Die in LA he brilliant but much more so in this film, he plays Bernie Verna's conniving, gambling rat of a brother, it's a fantastic performance by Turturro he gets lost in the character. He's fantastic in the scene where Tom has to whack him to gain Caspar's trust, the way he pleads and begs for his life feels very raw and real like he means it and it's totally memorable. Throughout his screen time throughout the film you get a sense that you cannot trust him and he really conveys it well.

Jon Polito absolutely steals the film from everyone else's noses he's on top form as Johnny Caspar Leo's underling then rival. It should be noted he's the most honest gangster in this film as he has morals and ethics and he trusts Tom, unbeknownst to him Tom is setting the seeds of doubt in his head making him paranoid so that he can't even trust he's right hand man Eddie Dane (Freeman). Now that Caspar is on his own trying to run his own organisation the stress of it gets to him and he's always on the edge about to boil over, no more clear than in the scene where he meets the Mayor and police chief in there office, Tom calms him down and his manner changes suddenly. I also love his voice in the film it's so unique and the scenes with his young are brilliant and quite raw in parts, these scenes goes to prove the toll his roe has taken on him. The only film I have ever seen Polito aside this was The Crow and his role is far much bigger in this. I'll be seeking more films with him in.

J.E Freeman an actor whom is now retired, his breakthrough year was 1990 with both this and Wild at Heart and in both he plays a villain and he has much more screen time and in my eyes he is the real villain in this film he's a completely evil, psychotic bastard that is Eddie Dane otherwise known as Eddie The Dane, like Tom he has a sense of humour albeit or more dark one and the scenes he and Tom share are complete Gold they gel well together. Just the way he talks and looks gives the sense he's evil, in most scenes he has a look of grimace on his face. I also love the shootout scene in Verna's place where he goes against some of Leo's thugs it's ace.

Also Steve Buscemi has a small role as Mink, I did not know he was in this film but he's a collaborator with the Coen Brothers along with John Turturro, another collaborator features in this Frances McDormand ! She has a small uncredited role as the receptionist in the Mayors office you only have to see her and you know it's her.

In a much smaller role is the film director Sam Rami, I was not sure if it was him or not until I checked it up online and I found out that it was him I am not sure as to exactly why he's in the film but I think it's because they have collaborated on Evil Dead were Joel Coen was the assistant editor of Evil Dead and him and his brother Ethan were responsible for all the brilliant shots in Evil Dead II. It's a fun little cameo I must say.

The soundtrack is nigh perfect, it suits the film too a tee and all it's dark themes, Carter Burwell scored the film and it's not a total surprise as he's worked with the Cohen's on Fargo, Raising Arizona and all the other Cohen Brothers films.

I have to say this film is brilliantly shot it's incredibly cinematic and beautiful, my absolutely favourite shot is when Tom get's punched early on in the film and he staggers back and the camera pans sideways as he staggers back. The scenic shots of Millers Crossing itself looks amazing and so tranquil a far cry from the city scenes. The film. There's some great transition shots utilizing Tom's hat and the screen blacks out when a act ends.

Most of the comedy, well the small amount that's within this film is physical. I particularly love the scene were one of Caspar's men is going to rough up Tom because he did not say yes to the deal, the guy takes his hat, jacket and waist coat off to rough him and Tom tells him to wait as he does not want to get his hat, jacket and waistcoat ruined, he takes them off and the goon approaches him then Tom whacks him with the chair and the guy staggers and puts his hand over his nose and goes out I loved it, it was so unexpected.

Another thing I found funny was when Tom was saved by police just after the scene I mentioned above descends into complete chaos when he exits the place I could not help but laugh something similar happens when he visits Leo's bar.

I have to say this is the absolute best gangster film I have ever seen, great memorable characters, sharp script which felt very authentic to how that period was, beautiful authentic sets and terrific shots and a well suited soundtrack, I cannot highly recommend it enough.