seymourblack-1
Dark, brooding and full of intrigue, "Miller's Crossing" was the third movie to be written, produced and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen and in the opinion of many, was also their best. It's certainly good to watch because of its rather involved story, its eccentric characters and the droll humour that's such a trademark of the Coens' work. Typically, for a gangster movie, no-one can be trusted and there are plenty of betrayals, double crosses and deceptions. More surprisingly, however, there are also some occasions where certain individuals, uncharacteristically, show genuine loyalty and aspire to act ethically.In the late 1920s, Irish mobster Leo O'Bannon (Albert Finney) who has both the Police Chief and the Mayor on his payroll, is also the de facto political leader of an unnamed Eastern city in the United States. In his day to day work he values the sound advice that he's regularly given by his friend and fellow gangster, Tom Reagan (Gabriel Byrne) but when he's visited by his rival, an Italian mobster called Johnny Casper (Jon Polito), a situation arises in which he feels unable to follow Tom's advice.Leo learns that a bookie called Bernie Bernbaum (John Turturro) has routinely been disclosing information about Casper's fixed fights to other gamblers and in order to stop the losses that he's been suffering; Casper is intent on eliminating Bernie without delay. When Leo says that Bernie pays for protection and isn't to be touched, Casper becomes both furious and frustrated. The real reason that Leo doesn't agree to the hit is because Bernie's sister Verna (Marcia Gay Harden) is his mistress. Tom tries to get Leo to change his mind by telling him that Verna is a grifter who's just using him but Leo isn't prepared to listen.Everything changes after a failed hit on Leo triggers a gang war. Tom discloses that he's having an affair with Verna and then also switches sides to work with Casper. In order to prove his loyalty to his new boss, Tom is ordered to kill Bernie and although he makes it look as if he's done so, he actually lets the treacherous bookie go. This proves to be a bad move because the fact that the hit was not witnessed, puts Tom in a tight spot when he gets targeted by Casper's sadistic henchman Eddie Dane (J.E. Freeman) and blackmailed by Bernie. Furthermore, in order to end the gang war and settle a few scores in the process, Tom not only manipulates the events that follow so expertly that he achieves his various aims but also does so in a way that unequivocally proves his loyalty to Leo.Jon Polito is terrific as the hot-headed Casper who despairs at the lack of ethics that he encounters in his business dealings and says "if you can't trust a fix, what can you trust?". Marcia Gay Harden does well as the heartless, two-timing Verna and John Turturro is brilliant as the repulsive Bernie. Albert Finney as the tough gangster who shows more humanity than most and Gabriel Byrne as the story's great schemer, are also both perfect in their lead roles."Miller's Crossing" is very stylish, well-written and features some magnificent cinematography which as well as being aesthetically pleasing, contributes so much to the atmosphere of the piece. What makes it most absorbing, however, is the quality of its story and the idiosyncrasies of its characters.
Jackson Booth-Millard
I knew this was a gangster movie, but I didn't know, or just forgot, that it was directed by brothers Joel and Ethan Coen (Fargo, No Country for Old Men, True Grit), so it would be interesting to see how they do with this specific genre. Basically set in Prohibition era 1930s, Tom Reagan (Gabriel Byrne) is the adviser and right hand man for Irish mobster and political boss Leo O'Bannon (Albert Finney). Italian racketeer and Leo's partner Johnny Caspar (Jon Polito) announces his intent to kill bookie Bernie Bernbaum (Quiz Show's John Turturro), against Tom's advice he extends his protection to Bernie, Verna Bernbaum (Pollock's Marcia Gay Harden) is Bernie's brother, she is in a relationship with Leo, but continues an affair with Tom. To end the war, Tom tries to convince Leo to give up Bernie to Caspar, he attempts to convince him he is being played by Verna to protect her brother, but Leo is not swayed, and after an assassination attempt on Leo, Tom reveals his affair with Verna to prove her dishonesty, Leo only beats her and turns his back on them both. Tom approaches Caspar for work, to prove his loyalty Caspar commands him to kill Bernie at Miller's Crossing, Bernie is taken into the woods, he begs Tom to spare him, saying "Look into your heart", Tom fires the gun to fake the murder, he tells Bernie to run and hide. Caspar assumes Leo's position as boss of the city, controlling the police and using them to destroy Leo's operations, meanwhile Tom begins settling disagreements between Caspar and his trusted but brutal and homosexual enforcer Eddie "the Dane" Dane (J.E. Freeman). Dane confirms that Tom's men did not see him murder Bernie, he is taken to Miller's Crossing to find Bernie's body, Tom nearly cracks as they near the location, but they find a body that has been shot in the face and birds have disfigured him. Tom finds out that Bernie returned, killed Dane's lover Mink (Steve Buscemi), also his lover, and placed his body in the woods, Bernie tries to blackmail Tom into killing Caspar. Eddie Dane denies betraying Caspar, after Tom uses Mink's unknown whereabouts to convince Caspar, he needs to decide who to trust and who to kill, in rage Caspar beats Dane before shooting him in the head, Tom then arranges a meeting between Caspar and Bernie, Caspar is under the pretext that he will be meeting Mink. Bernie gets the jump on Caspar and kills him, Tom arrives after this and tricks Bernie into handing over his gun, after a discussion of who will be blamed and the retribution for blackmailing Bernie again blames Tom to spare his life, saying "Look into your heart", Tom replies "What heart?" and shoots him. With Caspar and Eddie Dane dead, Leo resumes his position as top boss, Verna has her way back Leo's trust, but reacts coldly towards Tom, on the day Bernie is buried Leo announces he and Verna are engaged, he also offers Tom his job back, Tom refuses and stands back watching Leo depart, the future is questionable. Also starring Mike Starr as Frankie, Al Mancini as Tic-Tac, Richard Woods as Mayor Dale Levander, Thomas Toner as O'Doole, Home Alone 3's Olek Krupa as Tad, Michael Jeter as Adolph, Sam Raimi as Snickering Gunman and Frances McDormand as Mayor's Secretary. Byrne is brilliant as the cool, calculating man behind the throne of the boss, Finney is impressive, Harden gives a great Bette Davis style performance as the woman two men are in love with, and supporting actors like Polito and Turturro give terrific performances as well. I will be completely honest and say that I had to really concentrate to understand everything going on, but even if I didn't it had plenty of moments to remember, including the gory assassination attempt with guns blazing, there are some perfectly over-the-top violent sequences, it is a well written, well acted and has all the right ingredients to keep you fixed, a satisfactory neo-noir black comedy crime drama. Very good!
