LastingAware The greatest movie ever!

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Billie Morin This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

Patience Watson One of those movie experiences that is so good it makes you realize you've been grading everything else on a curve.

Scott LeBrun Gabriel Byrne is aces as Tom Reagan, a top adviser to Prohibition-era Irish gangster Leo (Albert Finney). Tom is absolutely cold-blooded, yet does have his own personal code. Tom and Leo end up having a falling-out over a woman named Verna (Marcia Gay Harden, in her first substantial film role). And so Tom ends up associating with Italian mob boss Johnny Caspar (Jon Polito), incurring the suspicion of Caspars' number one henchman Eddie Dane (J.E. Freeman). As the elaborate story unfolds, Tom plays every angle he can think of to come out on top.Still, he takes a TON of physical punishment as this plays out. Although it may be a little difficult investing time in a character who's so antiheroic, he is a compelling character, and it would be hard not to feel SOME sympathy for him every time he gets a fresh beating.Overall, "Miller's Crossing" is well worth a look, especially for any fan of filmmaking brothers Joel and Ethan Coen. It's quite an absorbing story, and the impressive cast has such a field day with the Coens' memorable dialogue that it makes a one hour and 55 minute run time almost fly by. The Coens do a respectable job at recreating the period (what city or town in which this takes place is never really specified) while indulging in various amusing bursts of in-your-face violence certain to delight some people and repulse others. It's all enhanced by a haunting and lovely score by frequent Coen brothers collaborator Carter Burwell, still a somewhat under valued composer.Finney is quite likeable, while a young and fiery Harden leaves quite the impression in the only major female role. Polito is a scene stealing live wire, in contrast to the more icy cold Freeman as the brutish Dane. John Turturro is highly effective playing Vernas' brother Bernie, a truly wretched weasel if ever there was one. Familiar faces in smaller roles include Mike Starr, Steve Buscemi, Olek Krupa, Michael Jeter, and Michael Badalucco.A good, well-told, potent story of friendship, loyalty, and survival instinct, with characters doing whatever they have to do to get by.Look for Sam Raimi, a longtime friend of Joel and Ethan, and Joels' wife Frances McDormand, in quick cameos.Eight out of 10.

Amy Adler Tom (Gabriel Byrne) is the right hand man of mobster Leo (Albert Finney). They've always "ruled" their city, despite elected officials. But, now, complications arise. Leo's galpal, Verna (Marcia Gay Harden) is seen as a hardened dame, using Leo for a better life. Her brother, Bernie (John Tuturro) is a bookie who is in trouble with Leo and with another rising mob boss, Johnny (Jon Polito). Because Bern is his lover's bro, Leo is reluctant to act against him. Meanwhile, Verna and Tom are having a secret affair, hardly loyal to Leo. Then, too, Tom is exploring working on the side for Johnny, because he has big debts to pay. Wouldn't you know it, Tom is soon asked to "off" Bernie at Miller's Crossing, a secluded wooded area where few bodies will be found. After all, Tom must prove his allegiance to Johnny. Fortunately, Tom finds a way out of his dilemma, but it doesn't solve the long term situation. Plus, Leo discovers Tom's double life, beats him up, and disowns him. With a growing battle between mobsters, who will remain standing? This intriguing, grimly majestic movie is a stellar piece of film making. The dialogue is superb, making the viewer hang on every word. Then, too, the direction includes scenes of great expertise, such as the one where a boy discovers a dead body, only to be startled when the man's toupee flies off. The actors, too, are great, with Tuturro, especially, exhibiting mighty prowess. As a period piece, one admires the thirties costumes and decor. All in all, MC was one of the first great Coen flicks and fans can argue it is the best of them all.

Predrag The story gets pretty complex, as this is from the Coen Brothers. It focuses Tom, a cold and smart-aleck lieutenant who works under an Irish Mob Boss, Leo. Things get ugly when Leo gets into a disagreement with an Italian under-boss who feels that he is getting a raw deal. Things also get more complicated when Tom falls in love with Leo's woman. Sooner or later Tom's going to have to decide who's side he's on and who his enemies really are. All of this leads to an uncontrollable scenario with the signature Coen twists and surprises. The acting is also superb. Gabriel Byrne is fantastic as the cold and heartless Tom, who always has something smart or sarcastic to say. There is no way I could see anybody else playing the role. It suits him that well. Turturro has some of the best moments. First when he begs for his life, and then when he cynically tries to quote his begging to save himself again. One of his better roles, I think. Everybody else in it is also terrific.A few brief words about some of the other elements of production. Barry Sonnenfeld's sure-footed photography, as always, is smooth and steady where appropriate, and frenetic where necessary. The set design and costuming make for such an astonishing illusion that were this not a color film, you might actually forget that it was released 9 and not 69 years ago. And even the sound from the music (diegetic and otherwise) to the crystal-clear sound effects that pierce the visual and draw you in by the ears, like they're supposed to is a presence in its own right throughout the film. I mean, when was the last time ice cubes dropping into an old-fashioned glass or the wringing out of an alcohol-soaked rag into a tinny dish felt truly woven into the designed effect of a scene in a movie? Overall rating: 9 out of 10.

petra_ste This Prohibition era film noir follows Tom Reagan (Gabriel Byrne), cynical but loyal adviser of mobster Leo (Albert Finney), as tension with the rival gang led by Caspar (Jon Polito) escalates; complicating matters are Vera (Marcia Gay Harden), Leo's girlfriend, and her brother Bernie (John Turturro), a grifter whom Caspar wants dead but Leo is determined to protect.Being a Coen brothers movie, Miller's Crossing features impeccable cinematography, a great score by Carter Burwell, snappy dialogues peppered with black humor ("All in all, not a bad guy - if looks, brain and personality don't count"). Byrne, Finney, Turturro, Harden and J.E. Freeman (as a fearsome thug) are all excellent; the stand-out is a deliciously hammy Polito as the puffy, sweaty, jovial boss with a huge chip on his shoulder and a comical obsession to run his business with an appearance of "ethics".Structure is interesting - the Coens introduce a relationship or a scene, then repeat it later but with a crucial spin. The interplay between Leo and Tom mirrors the one between Caspar and his right-hand man Dane; twice a man wanders through the woods at Miller's Crossing, once to kill, once to be killed; twice a man begs for his life on his knees; the various political figures, like a Greek choir of sycophants, bounce between Leo and Caspar as the power balance shifts. And the key dynamic of the main triangle is not Tom and Leo fighting for Verna's affection, but rather Tom and Verna fighting for Leo's.Then there is the Coens' genius for subverting expectations. Small moments become memorable: when Tom is awaiting a beating, he is left alone with a huge thug, who walks ominously towards him. Tom smacks him with a chair; the thug, shocked and offended, stomps out of the room holding his bloody nose, then a smaller, older guy storms in and knocks Tom out. The overall effect is darkly humorous, surprising, engrossing.9/10