Un cadavre sous le chapeau

It's the Prohibition era. Leo O'Bannon (Albert Finney) is an Irish mob boss who controls the city. Tom Reagan (Gabriel Byrne) is his right hand man. Verna (Marcia Gay Harden) has the boss wrapped around her little finger. Only Leo doesn't know that Verna is also sleeping with Tom. Italian rival Johnny Caspar (Jon Polito) wants to kill bookie Bernie Bernbaum (John Turturro) who's been taking advantage of him. Tom tries to get Leo to give up Bernie but he's Verna's brother and Leo refuses. Leo and Johnny go to war. Leo kicks Tom out when he reveals his affair with Verna. Tom goes to work for Caspar and he's commanded to execute Bernie in the woods at Miller's Crossing.

It's the third big great movie from the Coen brothers and they show a real mastery of the cinematic arts. It is beautifully shot, ultra violent, and the actors are some of the best around. It is hard-boiled gangster noir and one of the best for fans of the genre. The mannerisms and dense dialog can put off some people and may lose some who don't pay enough attention. There are no good guys in this story. It is strictly anti-hero stuff. That may also put off some people. The audience is asked to pull for Gabriel Byrne even though he's still a gangster, just a more reasonable one.

One of the great undiscovered gems of recent movie history. In my opinion, Miller's crossing is easily the best of the Coen brothers' films, and one of the true classics of American cinema.

On the surface, the story of warring gangsters in 1920's America is one that has been told many times before. But never before has it been handled with such artistry and precision. The (rather violent) action scenes keep the movie going along at a brisk pace, and the camera work is every bit the equal of "Fargo".

I became a lifelong Gabriel Byrne fan as a result of this movie, despite his best efforts to disappoint me since. Byrne's Tom Reagan is a compellingly amoral character, who takes more unchallenged beatings than perhaps anyone in film history. Men beat him up. Women beat him up. Collection men, bookies, gangsters, and even his boss gives him a terrible thrashing, and he hardly lifts a finger in opposition (with one notably humorous exception).

Albert Finney is tremendous as Leo, the local crime boss. His "Danny Boy" scene should go down in film history as one of the greatest pieces ever filmed. Jon Polito is at once absurdly funny and threateningly psychotic as Johnny Caspar, Leo's rival in the turf war. J.E. Freeman, John Turturro, and Marcia Gay Harden all lend strong support in a cast that was assembled and performs to near perfection.

I will never understand why this film has not received more recognition and acclaim. As an example of the modern style of Film Noir, it has no equals ("The Usual Suspects" would rate a close second). Among gangster films, only "The Godfather" can compete, and "Miller's Crossing" features superior pacing and dialog, although it lacks "The Godfather's" epic proportions. Perhaps someday this film will receive, like "The Manchurian Candidate" and "Touch of Evil", the belated accolades it so richly deserves.

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.

In my modest opinion, this film is the Coen's greatest achievement to date, even greater than Fargo. I was happy to see so many recent entries on this page, because that means something I predicted long ago is coming true: film buffs are finally "discovering" Miller's Crossing, an underground masterpiece that has dwelt in obscurity for ten years.

The central motif of the hat, and Johnny Caspar's preoccupation with the altitude thereof, brings to mind another underrated masterpiece, Drugstore Cowboy. The complex Jungian symbolism of forests, doors and especially hats is my favorite aspect of the film.

The only criticism I've heard of this film (and I think it's B.S.) has to do with the "over-acting"--a criticism that has been directed at more than one Coen film. Admittedly, Coen screenplays read more like novels than movie scripts and are not always actor-friendly. Gabriel Byrne, who appears in all but two scenes, does a great job playing an extremely complicated character. Tom Reagan is a smart guy surrounded by morons, and exists in a scenario where only muscle counts and brains don't. And he hates it. And he hates himself because he knows he's all brains and no heart. He tries to redeem himself through a selfless devotion to Leo, whom he hates. All this makes for an immensely challenging part, and the film could easily have fallen apart with a lesser actor than Gabriel Byrne playing the lead.

But the acting is great from top to bottom: Marcia Gay Harden (in her big screen debut) as the hard-boiled moll; Jon Polito as the maniacal Johnny Caspar; Steve Buscemi as the hop-addicted Mink; J.E. Freeman, who is such a marvellous screen villain you have to wonder why he's still toiling in obscurity; and Albert Finney, an actor who embodies the term "screen presence." But the Grand Prix goes to John Turturro, who carries the most powerful scene in the movie: when Tom takes Bernie out to Miller's Crossing to "whack" him.

Another criticism frequently levelled against the Coens is that they are preoccupied with "scenes" and don't focus enough on plot coherence. This too is an invalid criticism, as far as I'm concerned. Some people are irritated by a film that you have to watch a couple times to fully understand, but that's precisely the kind of film that I love, and that's why I love Miller's Crossing so much. Every time I see it I pick up on something that I didn't catch before.

Speaking of "scenes", the "Danny Boy" scene is the best. The second best is the following scene, where Tom and Terry walk through a hallway lined with goons. The third is the police raid on the Sons of Erin Club, in which Leo takes on the entire police force.

I'll resist the temptation to call Miller's Crossing "The Greatest Film of All Time"--because who has the right to say that? But I must say that it is my favorite film of all time.

There are many new movies that have been released on DVD this year. Forget them, and pick up a copy of this movie. It has only recently become available on DVD. The unavailability of this movie on DVD for so many years has been a sin. I own this movie on laser disc and it is one of the reasons that I still have a laser disc player.

I cannot do a better job than the other reviewers have in pointing out what make this film so outstanding. Just let me repeat the usual: The casting is flawless; the dialogue is on the mark, with dozens of juicy bon mots; the humor is sublime; the cinematography is absolutely gorgeous; and the plot, while complex, is still comprehensible enough not to detract from the action.

This movie is as close to flawless as a movie can be.

And one more thing, this movie has nothing in common with either "Yojimbo" (which was itself a rip-off of Dashiel Hammett's "Red Harvest") or "Fistful of Dollars". Well, OK, I'll grant that they both take place in towns dominated by two strong gangs of criminals (as if that's never been the case in any other movie,) but the other plot elements and the dialogue are completely original.

**** out of ****