Miller's Crossing (1990)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Spencer S

  
  The Coens, always masters of the period piece, gangster, uninhibited violence types of films, have made a much more subtle, and more character driven film than they had previously attempted. Though there are many supporting characters with their own vendettas, political factions, and… More
  The Coens, always masters of the period piece, gangster, uninhibited violence types of films, have made a much more subtle, and more character driven film than they had previously attempted. Though there are many supporting characters with their own vendettas, political factions, and die hard approach to crime syndication, it's the singular path of Tom Reagan (Gabriel Bryne) that interests the watcher of this film. It's his actions that drive the rest of the film into fruition. The supporting cast is exceptional, beyond words or compare. Albert Finney is the mob boss who runs the unnamed city (the film was shot in New Orleans) with the full support of the city's mayor and police chief during the Prohibition era. He runs the rackets, a booze joint, and has Reagan by his side as his right hand man. Reagan himself is an enrapturing character, both quiet and reserved, and yet frightening in the fact that he has a fierce attitude under the surface. Though he seems not able to kill the men who cross him and his boss through his harsh conscience, he is dangerous, able to hit men with chairs, backstab anyone who is a direct threat, and change the entire political system of the city through blackmail, deceit, and faking deaths left and right. He even lets certain men who try to berate and reveal his true colors be beaten and killed for their efforts. The entire movie is an intricate plot filled melange of slight noir, gangster film, and period piece. The plot was so thorough that the Coens had to stop and write an entirely different movie just to get their heads clear. The film is filled with iconic scenes of murder, intrigue, and politics that amount to some very tense scenes. The entire film isn't all needless violence of course. The scene in the woods, one of the only examples of one scene hinging everything together, was poignantly bereft of violence and later came back to make the ending even more meaningful. The absolute badass of everything was when Finney escapes death while pulling some Godfather worthy stunts. Every aspect of this has the right mood, an understandable yet complex plot, and a great cast. One of the best Coen films of all time.

• Melvin W

  
  Eddie Dane: You understand that if we don't find a stiff out here, we leave a fresh one.  "Up is down, black is white, and nothing is what it seems." Miller's Crossing is the Coen's first masterpiece and after twenty more years of making movies, it still… More
  Eddie Dane: You understand that if we don't find a stiff out here, we leave a fresh one.  "Up is down, black is white, and nothing is what it seems." Miller's Crossing is the Coen's first masterpiece and after twenty more years of making movies, it still holds up amongst their best. It is a movie that is overshadowed by other mobster movies like Goodfellas and is also under appreciated, not only as a mobster film, but as a Coen film. Miller's Crossing isn't given the credit it deserves. This gave audiences a sneak peek at what they would soon see in Fargo. The plot twists and turns and at times you don't know what the characters angles are or who they are really being loyal to.  A crime boss(Leo) and his right hand man(Tommy) split. Tommy turns his back on Leo and goes and joins up with Leo's enemy(Casper). There's so much going on, that the plot is kind of hard to describe from here. Casper wants a bookie dead and Leo doesn't. Leo and Tommy have the same love interest and that love interest's brother is the bookie. Casper's right hand man(the Dane) hates Tommy and likewise with Tommy. It isn't as hard to follow while watching the film, but there is a lot of double crossings and at times you really don't know what is going to happen. Miller's Crossing doesn't have the huge following of other Coen films like The Big Lebowski or Fargo. But big Coen brother fans know and love this movie because it is such a brilliant piece of filmmaking. You can put the dialogue up there with the best of the Coen's work. The films graphic violence scenes are masterfully well done, and although Roger Deakins didn't do the cinematography on Miller's Crossing, Barry Sonnenfeld does a great job making the movie look good. As good as Miller's Crossing is, Joel and Ethan would still improve from here and go on to make even better movies. This deserves consideration when talking about the best of the best when it comes to the mobster genre. It might not be Goodfellas, but it isn't too far from it. Verna: Maybe that's why I like you, Tom. I've never met anyone who made being a son of a bitch such a point of pride. 

• Jeff "

  
  In the long line of Gangster pictures, Miller's Crossing almost seems like a forgotten gem of a film. The Coens always made solid, entertaining films aside from one film, which I won't mention. They are perfectionists of cinema. Miller's Crossing is a stunning gangster… More
  In the long line of Gangster pictures, Miller's Crossing almost seems like a forgotten gem of a film. The Coens always made solid, entertaining films aside from one film, which I won't mention. They are perfectionists of cinema. Miller's Crossing is a stunning gangster film that is set during the prohibition era. This film is a masterpiece of the crime genre, and the Coen Brothers have made a memorable film that will appeal to fans of gangster films and crime films in general for that matter. Miller's Crossing has got an incredible cast of talented actors. The film is well crafted, and the pace of this film is really what elevates this film in telling a terrific, effective and emotional story. The Coens are masters at their craft and it shows. The cast are terrific. Gabriel Byrne gives an excellent performance as Tom Reagan an Irish mob bosses' right hand man. Albert Finney plays Leo, the mob boss that Tom works for. Finney is incredible in the part he plays. The film is an epic in crime films, and fans of the genre owe themselves the chance to check this film out. Miller's Crossing has a few memorable and classic scenes. One scene that made the film truly something different was when Leo nearly gets assassinated and gets the upper hand, and arms himself with a Tommy Gun and in a very stylized and violent scene, kills his potential murderers Hey, the old man is still an artist with a Thompson. Another scene was when Tom is force to knock off Bernie Bembaum (John Torturro) that scene has so much power as we see Bernie beg for his life. Miller's Crossing is a flawless gangster film, and it definitely ranks up there as one of the best gangster films such as The Godfather, Goodfellas and Once Upon A Time in America.

• Steven C

  
  "Miller's Crossing" is the very good prohibition era crime drama from the Coen Brothers. One of the better examples of this limited genre, the film features traditionally savvy performances (Marcia Gay Harden is the utter standout) and slick cinematography. While the… More
  "Miller's Crossing" is the very good prohibition era crime drama from the Coen Brothers. One of the better examples of this limited genre, the film features traditionally savvy performances (Marcia Gay Harden is the utter standout) and slick cinematography. While the actual narrative can seem a tad dry the Coen Brothers make up for it with certain moments and character interactions and reveals. Not their strongest work but still very much worth seeing if you are a fan of complicated, talky crime dramas like "The Godfather." For a reference point, this was the type of film Robert Altman was trying to craft with his extremely misguided "Kansas City" years after the release of "Miller's Crossing".

• xGary X

  
  An Irish gangster splits with his boss after an argument over his mistress and finds both sides of a mob war trying to tempt him over to their side. Unusually lacking in their trademark quirky humour, Miller's Crossing is possibly the most "straight" film the Coens have… More
  An Irish gangster splits with his boss after an argument over his mistress and finds both sides of a mob war trying to tempt him over to their side. Unusually lacking in their trademark quirky humour, Miller's Crossing is possibly the most "straight" film the Coens have made so far. Ostensibly an homage to the gangster films of the 1930s with a Film Noir spin, there are no "heroes" here, just a bunch of self-serving weasels trying to put one over on each other. This gives it the grimy undercurrent of a spaghetti western but with tommy guns instead of six shooters, with a whisky sodden hardcase stalking through the middle of it all played by Gabriel Byrne in one of his best performances. Albert Finney is also as marvellous as ever as his boss and long term comrade at arms and one of the highlights involves him pulling a Tony Montana on some unfortunate assassins. There are so many crosses, double crosses and triple crosses it'll make your head spin but it's a brilliant and stylish gangster story that stands out as one of the Coens best.

• Kase V

  
  A brilliant example of what a gangster film can be, along with classics like The Godfather. One of the most brilliant scripts the Coens have written, by far. Awesome performances by Byrn and ESPECIALLY Turturro. The only complaint could be it's pace, which can get slow. See it… More
  A brilliant example of what a gangster film can be, along with classics like The Godfather. One of the most brilliant scripts the Coens have written, by far. Awesome performances by Byrn and ESPECIALLY Turturro. The only complaint could be it's pace, which can get slow. See it twice, with caution .

• Drew S

  
  The excitement in watching a Coen Brothers film is not wondering what they're going to put their characters through - because duh - but seeing how the characters ultimately fare, and what they've learned or haven't learned by the end of the tale. In that sense,… More
  The excitement in watching a Coen Brothers film is not wondering what they're going to put their characters through - because duh - but seeing how the characters ultimately fare, and what they've learned or haven't learned by the end of the tale. In that sense, Miller's Crossing is one of their finest movies, sporting a slate of characters that you become legitimately invested in and putting them on fast tracks to places you're not entirely sure of. No one plays their characters with unnatural intelligence, not especially Gabriel Byrne's reckless firebrand Tom. His impulsiveness stands in pleasant contradiction with the rollicking adventure the Coens have planned for him. Its strength lies in its unpredictability, which initially is a bit of a thorny patch for the movie, because the plot can be very difficult to follow. It's baffling and convoluted, a considerable aping of 40s noir, but just like its progenitors it dumps you into an intimidating amount of backstory and some already-established character relationships that can take a while to parse. It reminded me of Michael Clayton, in that you spend most of the movie catching up to what's happening, but once you finally unravel it you feel really accomplished. If there's one thing I like in a movie, it's a little bit of struggle, and the Coens are no strangers to making an audience work for their appreciation. The risk you always run with such a dense narrative is that your viewers, when all is said and done, probably won't remember the gist of what actually happens a month later. Plot-heavy exchanges in Miller's Crossing aren't always visually engaging, but the movie's most memorable scenes are sumptuous and unforgettable. The piece de resistance is Albert Finney's flaming mansion shootout, obviously, but there are tons of great moments sprinkled through the course of its two hours. If there's one thing you can say about this Prohibition-era opera, it's that it remains eventful, right down to the final few minutes. It's very much a movie that's less than the sum of its parts, but what great parts.

• Alice S

  
  Verna: Shouldn't you be doing your job? Tom: Intimidating helpless women is my job. Verna: Then go find one, and intimidate her.

• Conner R

  
  Gangster movies don't come any finer than this and there are very few done so well about the Irish Mob. I cannot find one aspect of the film that I don't completely love, everything is done to perfection. The Coen Brother's amazing unique style comes in to play within a… More
  Gangster movies don't come any finer than this and there are very few done so well about the Irish Mob. I cannot find one aspect of the film that I don't completely love, everything is done to perfection. The Coen Brother's amazing unique style comes in to play within a very believable and traditional crime epic. The story works so well in telling a story about one person as well as a collective. Gabriel Byrne really does an amazing job, not many people could make this character so grounded and natural. The attention to detail and setting is flawless, this should be put up in the ranks with The Godfather, Goodfellas and Scarface.

• danny d

  
  masterpiece. absolutely astounding. i just put in a third viewing of this film and it was the best viewing yet. gabriel byrne puts in an astounding performance as does finney, the story was perfect with each twist, and the themes of loyalty and morality were present to a degree… More
  masterpiece. absolutely astounding. i just put in a third viewing of this film and it was the best viewing yet. gabriel byrne puts in an astounding performance as does finney, the story was perfect with each twist, and the themes of loyalty and morality were present to a degree rarely captured in a movie. the cohens put in their best script and directing job in this film all should see. this is the best mobster flick i have ever seen bar none.

• Aditya G

  
  I have always enjoyed watching the Coen Brothers' movies... Most movies they've made have had great stories, a great entertainment value clubbed with fabulous performances. "Miller's Crossing" is no different. In fact, this could be my #1 Coen… More
  I have always enjoyed watching the Coen Brothers' movies... Most movies they've made have had great stories, a great entertainment value clubbed with fabulous performances. "Miller's Crossing" is no different. In fact, this could be my #1 Coen Brothers' movie if I were to rank them. "Miller's Crossing" tells the story of two rival Mob bosses, Leo (Albert Finney) and Johnny Caspar (Jon Polito) and Leo's most trusted adviser, Tom Reagan (Gabriel Byrne). Things take a turn for the worse when Leo refuses to comply with Caspar about getting rid of one bookie who he feels has been cheating him. The story continues and what follows is a thrilling tale of double-cross and shifting loyalties. Right from the opening sequence ("I'm talking' about friendship...."), in which the brilliant Jon Polito as Johnny Caspar is relating his problem to Leo (Finney), this film makes an impression and it is immediately clear that the rest of the film is going to be just as impressive! The performances are all top-notch, including John Turturro, Gabriel Byrne, Albert Finney, Jon Polito and J.E. Freeman. Marcia Gay Harden is decent as well. On the technical front, cinematography by Barry Sonnenfeld is superb...so is the haunting musical score by Carter Burwell. The film has been edited really well. The dialogs are superb and well-written! And of course, let's not forget Joel Coen's brilliant direction. "Miller's Crossing" is a fine gangster film, not to be missed by any respectable movie buff and deserves to be ranked amongst the best gangster movies of all time.

• Chris W

  
  This is a brilliant and highly original gangster picture. It's a superb Coen Brothers film too. It's one of their absolute best, and I highly reccomend it. The plot, like a majority of films from the Coens is very complex and twisty, but it makes for some very rewarding… More
  This is a brilliant and highly original gangster picture. It's a superb Coen Brothers film too. It's one of their absolute best, and I highly reccomend it. The plot, like a majority of films from the Coens is very complex and twisty, but it makes for some very rewarding multiple viewings. In fact, there's so much detail and subtlety layered in this film that new stuff continues to creep out each time you watch it. It's the sort of film that you don't have to watch more than once to appreciate it, but you should, because you will appreciate it even more. Gabriel Byrne, JohnTurturro, John Polito, and Albert Finney all give superb performances. Carter Burwell's score, and Barry Sonnenfeld's camera work are brilliant. To sum it all up: this is a brilliant film, and a noirish gangster masterpiece.

• Tim S

  
  It's not the Coen's best, but damn it, its a phenomenal story in its own right.

• Dan S

  
  Enjoyable and expertly acted gangster flick during the Prohibition Era and how a nonviolent adviser (the very likeable Gabriel Bryne) becomes a key member in deciding the fate of which gang will come out on top. It's a solid thriller and well-shot movie with excellent actors who… More
  Enjoyable and expertly acted gangster flick during the Prohibition Era and how a nonviolent adviser (the very likeable Gabriel Bryne) becomes a key member in deciding the fate of which gang will come out on top. It's a solid thriller and well-shot movie with excellent actors who are ideal for their roles. The negatives are that there are two glaring plot holes that weigh the film down to a degree, and some of the plot could have been explained slower and better, it seems at times the Coens are in a rush to get it done. That said, its still a movie worth seeing, especially if you want to see an agile Albert Finney jump off a roof like Spiderman. That was a highlight.

• Anthony L

  
  Miller's Crossing has always been overlooked in my opinion as being one of the best gangster films of all time The scene in the woods with Byrne and Turturro is an absolute classic! It funny how they won the Oscar 16 years after making this film for No Country for old men,… More
  Miller's Crossing has always been overlooked in my opinion as being one of the best gangster films of all time The scene in the woods with Byrne and Turturro is an absolute classic! It funny how they won the Oscar 16 years after making this film for No Country for old men, they've been making masterpieces for years!

• Lady D

  
  I really chose the wrong state of mind to watch this in, as it needed plenty of concentration (something I was lacking in at that moment). It soon became relevant that I?d missed parts of the storyline which were relevant, yet really enjoyed the last half of this film. I hope to… More
  I really chose the wrong state of mind to watch this in, as it needed plenty of concentration (something I was lacking in at that moment). It soon became relevant that I?d missed parts of the storyline which were relevant, yet really enjoyed the last half of this film. I hope to watch this again fairly soon, to pick up on the bits that I missed. <br/> <br/>It seemed an impressive role for Gabriel Byrne, who I tend to find a complete hit, or a complete miss in most films he is in (and always reminds me of Pacino), <br/> <br/>Looking forward to my next viewing of this old Mobster film, where I can guarantee my rating will go up.

• Bob O

  
  Millers Crossing is stylish and intricate, but it's gets a bit boring and lost along the way. Gabriel Byrne is the central character and while he's in every scene he's sadly just not that interesting to watch. Throughout the film he bounces from supporting character… More
  Millers Crossing is stylish and intricate, but it's gets a bit boring and lost along the way. Gabriel Byrne is the central character and while he's in every scene he's sadly just not that interesting to watch. Throughout the film he bounces from supporting character to supporting character all of whom are much more interesting than he is. I kept thinking this guys in the wrong business. I have to give him credit for being able to take beating after beating like a champion. The film is rewarding once it reaches the finish, but watching the race gets a bit tiresome. A cool gangster film effort, but sadly uninvolving.

• Christopher M

  
  There are always films in which I find it amazing how long it takes for me to see them. This is one of those. Miller's Crossing is undoubtedly one of the best films put together by the Coen brothers, I would put it right behind films like No Country For Old Men or Fargo. Set in… More
  There are always films in which I find it amazing how long it takes for me to see them. This is one of those. Miller's Crossing is undoubtedly one of the best films put together by the Coen brothers, I would put it right behind films like No Country For Old Men or Fargo. Set in the 1920s, Miller's Crossing is purely a gangster film. The plot is a little difficult to summarize, but it stars the awesome Gabriel Byrne (The Usual Suspects) as a well-estasblished Irish gangster who has a falling out with his boss over a woman. Typical of the Coen brothers, they gather a fabulous cast. From the aforementioned Byrne to his boss played by the legendary Albert Finney to Marcia Gay Harden to Coen-film standbys John Turturro and Steve Buscemi, the cast is entirely astounding, and inhabit the very cool world of the film like few others could. One thing I found most remarkable about this film is the way in which it was shot. They utilize some really interesting, different shots and the cinematography is exceptional and very interesting - and this results in several brilliant, totally memorable scenes. This is a must-see for Coen fans and anyone really, and will especially be popular among lovers of gangster/prohibition-era flicks.

• Curtis L

  
  Cool gangster film about loyalty and disloyalty

• Greg S

  
  Scheming Irish consigliere Tom (Gabriel Byrne) gets caught in the middle of a gang war in Chicago in 1929 in this reverent homage to 30s gangster films. Intiricately plotted, wonderfully cast, and beautifully shot, this should have been a masterpiece. It fails to reach its potential… More
  Scheming Irish consigliere Tom (Gabriel Byrne) gets caught in the middle of a gang war in Chicago in 1929 in this reverent homage to 30s gangster films. Intiricately plotted, wonderfully cast, and beautifully shot, this should have been a masterpiece. It fails to reach its potential because, in a Prohibition era Chicago filled with colorful, quirky characters, the audience is asked to follow the sullen, unlikebale Tom, who does little more than slug back whiskey and get slugged in the gut by a series of thugs. Tom's schemes are inetersting, but he isn't.

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