Miller's Crossing

Title: Miller's Crossing (1990)
Dir: Joel Coen
Rating: **** out of 5 stars



Geez, are the Coen Brothers capable of making a bad movie? This one is really interesting because, like Fargo, it is quite dark but maintains that quirky sense of humor the Brothers are so famous for. It is both realistic as a gangster film, but fantastical in its own subtle way.

The film focuses on Tom Reagan (Gabriel Byrne), a man torn between two warring mob families during the 1930's Prohibition era. As the rival gangs brutally ambush one another for control of the city, Tom must constantly shift allegiances to stay alive. He is emotionally torn apart by the immoral things he's done, and by the woman (Marcia Gay Harden) he can't have.

Crossing is full of brutal violence and black humor. The dialogue is fantastic, especially all the 30's lingo ("What's the rumpus?" "You giving me the high hat?") that you will be using for days after seeing the movie. The directing, needless to say, is amazing. And the music is perfect. Byrne and Harden are great, as are everyone in the supporting cast that includes Albert Finney, John Turturro, JE Freeman, and Jon Polito.

I can't further describe why it's so good without going into plot details, so I'll stop here. If you like gangster movies, or Coen movies, or just movies - rent this one.