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Miller's Crossing Customer Reviews (7 - 9 of 54 Reviews)

One of my favorite films
It difficult today to recall that, when this movie came out in 1990, a lot of critics panned it, calling the characters cartoon caricatures and the story stilted and unwieldy.

Now, 15 years later and in a time when its players -- Gabriel Byrne, Marcia Gay Harden, John Turturro and Jon Polito -- have all made big names for themselves, we can look back on this as one of the Coen brothers most inspired and entertaining films. It is the equal, in my opinion, of "Fargo" and "Barton Fink" and way ahead of their drowsy comedies of recent years starring big budget players like George Clooney and Katherine Zeta Jones.

If you've never seen it, "Miller's Crossing" is a crossroads in the country near the unnamed city where Italian and Irish gangsters are duking it out for control. Gabriel Byrne's character is the linchpin between the warring groups, first as the top associate to Irish mob chief Albert Finney and, later, as part of Jon Polito's Italian mob after he seemingly switches allegiance.

But does he switch? You'll really be entertained trying to figure that out! You'll also be entertained by a number of miraculous scenes -- the best of which is Finney fighting off killers in his bedroom and putting some more out of action with one of the best machine gun scenes in film history to the tunes of "Danny Boy". You'll also get a great kick out of a shootout at a speakeasy and a scene with fighter "Drop" Johnson -- one of the greatest names a Hollywood character has ever had.

All this and America's best character actor, John Turturro, too!

I'm getting carried away with enthusiasm but I can't help it when I think of this worderful, offbeat yet terribly mainstream and entertaining mob movie. There's never been one like it and probably never will be one like it. Buy it, rent it or borrow it tongiht and see how much fun you can have for a couple hours with his group of madcap gangsters.

Not the Best Coen brothers film, but up there:
Judging by the reviews on this site, it appears that this is a lot of peoples favorite Coen brothers movies. One person in particular said that they could not find one thing wrong with this movie...Well, technically, that is true. As a movie, script, and as far as the acting it's pretty solid; but this does not mean it's perfect. It's not my favorite Coen brothers movie and I've seen a few
(Fargo, O Brother Where Art Thou, The Man Who Wasn't There, Raising Arizona, The Big Lebowski, and Intolerable Cruelty) but that's not to say that it's not a great movie. The movie stars Gabriel Byrne as Tom; the counselor and friend of gangster Leo (Albert Finney, "Big Fish"). Leo basically runs the town, but after they fall for the same woman (Oscar winner Marcia Gay Harden "Pollack") Tom is kicked out of the friends "circle." He then turns to Caspar (Jon Polito) a local gangster with a bad temper. John Turturro, in his best performance here, plays Bernie; the brother of Verna (Harden) who everyone wants dead. The movie is a little different from some of the Coen's other stuff; but you can still tell it's one of their films. Turturro and Byrne are absolutely fantastic in every aspect of their performances; the end is not really that surprising, but don't get me wrong...The movie is entertaining throughout.
A-

Not exactly the Godfather
This is a violence-prone, pretentious, and often confusing film that is neither interesting nor entertaining. Mobsters "whacking" each other, apparently without reason--just to show themselves tough and heartless. One expects much more, like a coherent plot, from the Coen brothers. Fine acting, dreadful script, horrid film.

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