Dom Robinson reviews
Miller's Crossing
Distributed by
Encore Entertainment
- Cat.no: EE 1066
- Cat.no : EE 1066
- Cert : 18
- Running time : 110 mins
- Sides 2 (CLV)
- Year : 1990
- Pressing : UK, 1996
- Chapters : 36 (18/16+2)
- Sound : Dolby Surround
- Widescreen : 1.85:1
- Price : £31.99
- Extras : Original trailer, "Rising Sun" trailer
Director:
Producer:
Screenplay:
Music:
Cast:
Tom Reagan : Gabriel Byrne (The Usual Suspects, Cool World)
Leo : Albert Finney (The Browning Version, Dennis Potter's Karaoke)
Verna : Marcia Gay Harden (Safe Passage, Late For Dinner)
Bernie Bernbaum : John Turturro (Barton Fink, Mac)
Johnny Caspar : Jon Polito (Barton Fink, Homeboy)
Eddie Dane : J.E. Freeman (It Could Happen To You, Memphis)
Mink : Steve Buscemi (Reservoir Dogs, Airheads, every Coen brothers film)
Set
in 1929, Miller's Crossing tells the story of the friendship between Leo,
the local political gangland boss, and Tom, the man behind the man.
"Rug" Daniels is killed and Leo finds it strange that his hairpiece was taken,
hence the nickname, although the dead man was found that morning by a boy with
his dog, the boy taking the wig.
The friendship between Tom and Leo is severed when they fall for the same woman,
and Tom joins ranks with Johnny Caspar, Leo's foremost enemy and rival for
political power, by striking a deal. Caspar wants Bernie and Leo, and in return
he'll get Tom off the hook with Lazarre....
Several questions will be answered over the course of the next 110 minutes...
- Is Leo still the big boss?
- Will Caspar be able to take over?
- Will Tom sell out a friend?
- Is Verna Leo's girl?
- Has "The Dane" figured things out?
- Will Bernie turn the tables?
- Was Rug trying to follow Verna on the night he was killed, and who offed him?
Double-cross follows double-cross, and this is one of those cleverly crafted
complex thrillers which will have you reaching for the rewind button to go over
some of the details again which you missed first time round, as well as the
fantastic shootouts. Can you guess who will be left alive by the end?
The Coen brothers have made a name for themselves with a style all of their
own used in films such as "Blood Simple", "Raising Arizona", "Barton Fink",
"The Hudsucker Proxy" and 1996's "Fargo".
The picture quality is excellent with sound to match, especially the surround
sound heard as the camera sweeps around once or twice, and for the shootouts
whether they be between two people or twenty.
The disc is well chaptered with 18 on side one, and 16 on side two, and is
rounded off by trailers for "Miller's Crossing" and "Rising Sun". Strangely,
the back cover states 17 chapters and mis-labels the last two. Chapters 17 and
18 should be labelled "Miller's Crossing" and "A Message for Leo" respectively
instead of 16 and 17. Hence, chapter 16 remains unlabelled.
The ratio stated on the sleeve is 1.85:1 although it looks closer to 1.66:1.
On comparison with the fullscreen trailer, it appears the film was shot flat
and correctly masked to 1.66:1 for cinematic presentation.
The film also features one of the best 'death-by-tommy-gun' scenes ever...
Review copyright © Dominic Robinson, 1996.
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