DramaThrillerCrime

Miller's Crossing

- Up is down, black is white, and nothing is what it seems.

Set in 1929, a political boss and his advisor have a parting of the ways when they both fall for the same woman.

Release Date : 1990-09-21

Language :EnglishIrishItalianYiddish

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Circle Films20th Century Fox

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Tom Reagan

Original Name : Gabriel Byrne

Gender : Male

Character Name : Verna

Original Name : Marcia Gay Harden

Gender : Female

Character Name : Bernie Bernbaum

Original Name : John Turturro

Gender : Male

Character Name : Johnny Caspar

Original Name : Jon Polito

Gender : Male

Character Name : Eddie Dane

Original Name : J.E. Freeman

Gender : Male

Character Name : Leo

Original Name : Albert Finney

Gender : Male

Character Name : Frankie

Original Name : Mike Starr

Gender : Male

Character Name : Tic-Tac

Original Name : Al Mancini

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mink

Original Name : Steve Buscemi

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mayor Dale Levander

Original Name : Richard Woods

Gender : Male

Character Name : O'Doole

Original Name : Tom Toner

Gender : Male

Character Name : Clarence 'Drop' Johnson

Original Name : Mario Todisco

Gender : Male

Character Name : Tad

Original Name : Olek Krupa

Gender : Male

Character Name : Adolph

Original Name : Michael Jeter

Gender : Male

Character Name : Terry

Original Name : Lanny Flaherty

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mrs. Caspar

Original Name : Jeanette Kontomitras

Gender : Male

Character Name : Johnny Caspar, Jr.

Original Name : Louis Charles Mounicou III

Gender : Male

Character Name : Cop - Brian

Original Name : John McConnell

Gender : Male

Character Name : Cop - Delahanty

Original Name : Danny Aiello III

Gender : Male

Character Name : Screaming Lady

Original Name : Helen Jolly

Gender : Male

Character Name : Landlady

Original Name : Hilda McLean

Gender : Female

Character Name : Gunman in Leo's House

Original Name : Monte Starr

Gender : Male

Character Name : Gunman in Leo's House

Original Name : Don Picard

Gender : Male

Character Name : Rug Daniels

Original Name : Salvatore H. Tornabene

Gender : Male

Character Name : Street Urchin

Original Name : Kevin Dearie

Gender : Male

Character Name : Caspar's Driver

Original Name : Michael Badalucco

Gender : Male

Character Name : Caspar's Butler

Original Name : Charles Ferrara

Gender : Male

Character Name : Caspar's Cousin

Original Name : Esteban Fernández

Gender : Male

Character Name : Caspar's Cousin

Original Name : George Fernandez

Gender : Male

Character Name : Hitman at Verna's

Original Name : Charles Gunning

Gender : Male

Character Name : Hitman #2

Original Name : Dave Drinkx

Gender : Male

Character Name : Lazarre's Messenger

Original Name : David Darlow

Gender : Male

Character Name : Lazarre's Tough

Original Name : Robert LaBrosse

Gender : Male

Character Name : Lazarre's Tough

Original Name : Carl Rooney

Gender : Male

Character Name : Man with Pipe Bomb

Original Name : Jack Harris

Gender : Male

Character Name : Son of Erin

Original Name : Jery Hewitt

Gender : Male

Character Name : Snickering Gunman

Original Name : Sam Raimi

Gender : Male

Character Name : Cop with Bullhorn

Original Name : John Schnauder Jr.

Gender : Male

Character Name : Rabbi

Original Name : Zolly Levin

Gender : Male

Character Name : Boxer

Original Name : Joey Ancona

Gender : Male

Character Name : Boxer

Original Name : Bill Raye

Gender : Male

Character Name : Voice (voice)

Original Name : William Preston Robertson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mayor's Secretary (uncredited)

Original Name : Frances McDormand

Gender : Female

Character Name : Casino Patron (uncredited)

Original Name : MIchael P. Cahill

Gender : Male

Reviews

John Chard

@John Chard

2024-05-16

The answer my friend is a hat blowing in the wind. The Coen brothers craft a loving homage to gangster pictures of yore with splendid results. Essentially the plot has Gabriel Byrne as a good - bad guy caught between two rival gangster factions. It's a standard story line that is still providing cinematic water for many a film maker these days, but shot through the Coen prism, with literary astuteness holding court, it's a genre piece of considerable class. A picture in fact that gets better and better with further viewings. When the Coen's are on form they have the skills to make a grade "A" thriller and blend it with a sort of dry irony. It's like they bite the hand that feeds whilst praising said genre influences to the rafters, but it works as damn fine entertainment. On a narrative level Miller's Crossing molds the byzantine with the labyrinthine, keeping the complexities just on the right side of the street from that of art for arts sake. Visually the film is superb, the hard working sweat of the city dovetails impudently with the mother nature beauty of Miller's Crossing the place, a place home to misery, a witness to the dark side of man. All the while Byrne, Albert Finney, John Turturro and Jon Polito bring an array of characterisations to the party, each one his own man but each craftily proving the folly of man. Marcia Gay Harden, in one of her first mainstream roles, slinks about making the two main boys sweaty, and wonderful she is as well. While Carter Burwell provides a musical score that has a smug (in a good way) self awareness about it. Style over substance? Yes, on formative viewings it is. But go back, look again, see and sample what is not being said. Pulpers and noirers will I'm sure get the gist. 8/10

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2023-08-26

Gabriel Byrne is "Reagan", the enforcer for the pretty ruthless mob kingpin "Leo" (Albert Finney). He is caught in the middle of a battle between his boss and the man who would take his place "Caspar" (John Polito) over the antics of a rogue bookie "Bernie" (the scene-stealing John Turturro) who also happens to be the brother of "Verna" (Marcia Gay Harden) - the girlfriend of Leo, oh - and the mistress of "Reagan" too. "Reagan" tries to be a bit of an honest broker between them all, but when his efforts fail, he is cast aside by his former boss and left to fend for himself... On the face of it, this is just a run-of-the-mill gangster film. People are killed and the vicious circle of revenge continues. Quite cleverly, though, the Coen brothers have done quite a bit to present more complex characters and to give the plot a little more quirkiness - and that makes this an interesting two hours to watch. Finney's accent is a bit hit or miss, and I'm afraid Byrne just isn't a strong enough actor to carry his substantial part so well - he is no Edward G. Robinson or George Raft, but this is still a superior delve into the murky world of organised crime that does bear watching.