Millers Crossing

From Zanecorpwiki

Summary

A remarkable movie: clever plot, beautiful, strongly acted, wonderfully scored. There's quite a bit of violence, but it's not out of place. Plus, the movie is fun (at least when fool aren't being smoked). At the same time, there's an ease about the film. It plays within it's strengths.

Miller's Crossing isn't a great movie in the sense of breaking ground or great statements. It's just so solid, like an impeccably tailored suit. One knows that a lot of expert work went into it, and that's why it appears almost effortless in presentation.

Details and Notes

Spoilers.

Is there a smart criminal genre? The Usual Suspects, Ocean's Eleven, etc. Miller's Crossing isn't about a brilliant plan, conceived and executed without flaw, but it is about a smart criminal. The guy that's playing everyone else. The great thing, though, is that you don't realize that till the end of the movie.

Actually, maybe it was a brilliant plan conceived then executed. The main character certainly lets others assume that at the end. But certain aspects of the plot seem a bit messy for that, which make the movie more interesting and stronger than if it were a slick, flawless ta-da type story. Tom is certainly lucky that Bernie puts the other body in the forest. If that bit was planned, then it was fools luck that it came off.

Either way though, it doesn't matter. The film is not about tying up loose ends or revealing the secret. In this way, it retains a touch of reality despite being a fantastic tale.

My only complaint is that the blood in the movie is a bit bright syrupy. Is is meant to be hyper-realistic, or to blunt the violence a bit? It's probably not meant to signify anything.