JayDee's Movie Musings

As a result of public demand (well one person enquired! ) I've switched the order around to deliver my Miller's Crossing review just now













Plot - In an unnamed town in the Prohibition era 1930s, a gang war threatens to tear the city apart. Tom Reagan (Byrne) is an advisor to the big crime boss of the city, Leo O'Bannon (Finney). When Leo refuses a request from one of his rivals, Johnny Caspar (Polito), the disagreement soon escalates into an all-out feud between the respective clans with Tom, who was pushing for Leo to acquiesce to the demand, caught in the middle. Attempting to maintain a peace between the families, Tom instead finds himself thrown out of Leo's mob when it's discovered he has been fooling around with Leo's girl. With nowhere else to go he joins up with Caspar but not is all as it seems. Tom continues to plot and manoeuvre individuals all over the place like a chess master. He seems to have everything worked out, but will he live long enough to benefit from his planning?

As has frequently been the case throughout their career, the Coen brothers take on a genre that has definitive tropes and boundaries and put their very distinctive stamp on it. This time out they take the gangster flick and place it firmly in the territory of neo-noir, while at the same time weaving a light and occasionally cartoonish thread through it, complete with a little dash of their usual quirk.

To start with the film is just glorious to look at, its direction and cinematography making just about every scene a treat to look at. It's wonderfully directed and the compositions that the Coens create are captured beautifully by the lens of Barry Sonnenfeld. While the whole film is tremendous to look at, there are a couple of particular scenes I'd like to highlight. In the scene where Tom has been taken out to Miller's Crossing with the intention of bumping off Bernie, I love the image of the men standing against the car with the road and the trees seemingly stretching off in to infinity. While Tom's white knuckle walk through that forest in the search of Bernie's body is a tremendously nerve-shredding piece of cinema. However I think my absolute favourite scene would have to be the attempted assassination of Albert Finney's Leo in his home. It's a great scene of ironic juxtaposition as we find Leo relaxing in his bed, smoking a cigar and listening to the evocative strains of 'Danny Boy', when two faceless gangsters enter his home with the intent of wiping him out. Cutting back and forth between Leo lying on his bed and his would-be killers its a beautifully executed little piece of storytelling told merely through its visuals. It seems deceptively simple but its a delightfully deft working of direction and editing to convey the events as Leo begins to suspect something is up. The killers remain faceless; all we glimpse are shots of their shoes and the barrels of their guns, as Leo spots smoke wafting up between the floorboards and realised something is up. Looking at Finney's face you can just see the cogs in his mind working. The scene then unleashes itself into an unflinching assault of violence while the poignant 'Danny Boy' continues to underscore the action. The film then descends into something almost cartoonish as Leo releases an apparently never-ending amount of bullets into the hitmen. Indeed at one point I think one of the men may have been doing the distress signal from Team America!

The Coens deliver a fantastic script, crafting a dense intricate plot and layering on hard-boiled dialogue that just sings. It's a thrilling and intelligent story, brimming with twists, turns, double crosses, triple crosses and even the odd quadruple cross! It really does keep you on your toes as you attempt to follow the constantly switching allegiances, made all the more difficult by Byrne's icy, detached nature which meant I was never entirely sure of his intentions. And as you would have a right to expect from a Coen brothers film, the dialogue is superb. It bounces around between the funny and quirky, the harsh and hard-boiled, the creative and rapid-fire. The dialogue has an almost lyrical quality to it which lulls you into a bit of a trance-like state, making the occasional bursts of violence (the shovel to Dane's face) all the more jolting. While it's so well crafted that even words that were completely alien to me I was immediately able to assign the correct meaning to.

Film Trivia Snippets - As a result of trying to tackle the film's intricate plot, the Coens suffered writer's block while working on the script. They took a break from Miller's Crossing, during which they knocked out the script for Barton Fink (about a writer with writer's block) in just three weeks before return to Miller's. The brothers subsequently introduced a few references to Barton Fink. Tom's residence is called 'The Barton Arms' while a newspaper article talks of 'seven dying in a hotel fire.' /// The character of Leo was actually written for Trey Wilson. Wilson, who portrayed Nathan Arizona Sr. in Raising Arizona, died shortly before production began however, and Albert Finney was drafted in to take over. /// Originally Jon Polito was offered the role of Eddie Dane, but he successfully campaigned to take on the role of Caspar.

The film is impeccably acted by its ensemble. As I alluded to earlier Byrne is one stony-faced, hard-boiled motherf*cker! With ice in his veins and a quip constantly on the tip of his tongue he is quite an enigmatic, brooding character and an absolute definition of an anti-hero. I admire the Coen brothers for treating the audience with enough respect that they don't try and make him relatable, or soften his character to try and make him seem more sympathetic or likeable. There's a great contrast between the two mob bosses that Tom finds himself caught between. Albert Finney is magnetic as the stoic Leo, a man of great resolve; while Jon Polito's performance is a mile away. He's wild, chaotic and damn eccentric. He gives a sense that he's not particularly in control of his emotions and that doesn't really know what he's going to do next. That makes him quite a scary prospect. It's impossible to predict what he's going to do if he himself doesn't seem sure. He's fantastic. As Bernie Bernbaum, the catalyst for the whole fiasco, John Turturro is quite electrifying as a manic character who really is all over the map. He does do a bit of fine scenery chewing, particularly in the scene where he is begging for his life in the woods. At the time I felt it was a bit too over-the-top but when you find out later that it actually was all an act, it works in the context. And as a result when he tries to squirm out a second time it is nowhere near as convincing. Initially he seems a bit of a bumbling fool, and it was a bit of a shock when he turns things around and reveals himself to be quite the vile little sociopath.

Miller's Crossing also features a really quite gorgeous score courtesy of Carter Burwell; composed of haunting, profound and stirring notes. In particular the music that both plays over the opening titles and that closes out the film is just phenomenal; a truly emotional, heart-stirring piece. It perfectly equates to the film. I was able to close my eyes and just listen to the music, and in my mind it created the same sort of autumnal aesthetic of browns and greens that the film itself has. The music stuck with me long after the credits had finished rolling, and to play into one of film's quotes, Carter Burwell 'put one in my brain' so to speak. High marks too for those responsible for creating the film's period detail, which not only sets out the world in a stylish manner but actually manages to flesh out and give depth to its characters.

If I were to level any criticisms at the film it's that I perhaps found the majority of its pleasures to be largely of a technical nature. As a result of it perhaps being a bit of an exercise in style over substance, that it's occasionally a little too self-aware and clever for its own good, and that it's tough to take any of the characters to heart, I struggled to really form a strong emotional attachment with it. But that could just be on the first viewing. I watched it over two separate stretches and in the first it wasn't doing anything for me at all really, but when I picked it back up I found myself becoming more and more invested in it. Perhaps returning to it I would feel the same for the whole film. I could definitely see my score rising in the future.

Conclusion - Back in 1990 the Coen brothers crafted a compelling, lyrically shot film with Miller's Crossing. On a technical level it really is hard for me to find a single fault; the acting, directing, writing, cinematography, score...just everything is top notch. In my personal ranking of the Coen brothers flicks this would probably land around the no. 4 spot at the moment I think. In terms of just the overall quality of their films though, this might be right up there at the top.

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Great film and a great review. Glad you enjoyed it.

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Slight spoilers for those who haven't watched the film here.

Awesome review JayDee, Miller's Crossing is one of my very favourite films and is absolutely beautiful, at times like you say it does seem a little cold and calculated - just like Tommy There's just so much I love about the film, you cover basically everything, Byrne and Turturro are absolutely fantastic, with the former like you say being a character whose intentions are never fully revealed into the films end - we're constantly trying to work out his character and at first we kind of suspect he may be motivated by his love for Verna, but it seems he is far more intelligent and has planned ahead to a much greater extent in order to benefit himself.

Another scene that I love (I was first alluded to thanks to Jim Emerson's great and really interesting review) is when Tommy meets Mink, it's just a small chance encounter seemingly without meaning but when you look back at it it sets everything in motion.

Edit: You spelt Coen wrong in the pre-review credits you do by the way

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John Turturro is such a weasel in that. Love it.

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#31 on SC's Top 100 Mofos list!!

Nice review, JayDee. I'm not sure that you can accept that things worked out the way that Tom intended, no matter what he says or what's implied.

Carter Burwell is one of my favorite film composers. He's most well-known for his scores for the Coen Bros. and Spike Jonze, but even his scores for the most mundane films make them move along much easier. Some of my faves.

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Haven't seen Miller's Crossing yet; looking forward to it.

Not a bad movie! Enjoy!

Millers Crossing is a great movie. Excellent review as always!

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Fear and Loathing in MoFo... The Gunslinger 45's Top 50 Favorite Films

In the 10 Ring: Gunslinger45's reviews

Hey Jaydee, if there is ever an 80's countdown list you should put your name forward. You put so much time and effort into everything. I bet it would look awesome.

Plot - Donnie Brasco (Depp) meets and befriends Benjamin 'Lefty' Ruggiero (Pacino), earning himself a route into the New York mafia. As time goes on, the relationship between the two men grows closer and closer. Which is all fine except for the fact that Donnie Brasco doesn't really exist, he is merely the undercover persona of FBI agent Joe Pistone. The longer he is undercover however, the more that Pistone seems to be getting dragged into the world. As a result his marriage begins to fall apart, and when he doesn't report to his handlers for an extended period of time questions begin to arise about whether he has gone off the reservation or not. Based on a true story.

As a general rule, gangster films are not a great draw for me. I've just never found a massive appeal in watching the inner workings of the mob, and am often turned off by the apparent glorification of such individuals that many films seem to descend to. I found Donnie Brasco however to be a very compelling exception to that rule, largely as a result of two terrific central performances from Al Pacino and Johnny Depp.

Depp is absolutely electric as the titular Donnie Brasco (aka Joseph Pistone), wonderfully portraying the ever decreasing divide between the two disparate personalities. He breezes through the film with a great charisma and a real harshness to him. There's such a fantastic fire to him throughout the film, particularly in moments where his secret is threatened. The scene at a Japanese restaurant is thrillingly intense. I'd certainly rank this up with the likes of Ed Wood as one of Depp's best performances. I'll admit that Al Pacino can be a bit hit or miss for me. There's no doubt I have seen him give some fantastic performances (Godfather, Serpico, Dog Day Afternoon etc) but I'm not so fond of him when he goes a bit bigger than normal; when he breaks out the loud voice and the bulging eyes. Just stop shouting Al! I just feel his mother should be on set to remind him, “inside voices Alfredo.” Here however he is excellent as he reigns in such eccentricities to play a much more down to earth, cynical, world weary character. The role very much plays into his own career from his gangster days (Godfather) to his own turn as an informant in Serpico. There's a tangible sadness to his character, haunted by the problems of his son and resentful about his treatment within the corporation. Despite his choice of profession I actually came to like Lefty, just as Donnie does. He tackles his job with such honour and respect. We may not admire what he does, but we admire how he does it. Pacino imbues Lefty with a real pathos but also a really dry humour. Together the two men share a great macho chemistry, and any time that they are given the screen to themselves, away from the rest of the cast, the sparks really do fly. Also strong in supporting roles are Michael Madsen and Anne Heche. Madsen may not deliver a performance that we haven't seen from him several times before, but when you're so damn effective at playing such a cold-hearted, menacing b*stard then why change anything? He proves to be suitably fearsome as the loose cannon, Sonny Black. Also quite impressive I felt was Anne Heche as Jo's beleaguered wife even if it's a bit of a thankless role at times.

In a rare and unexpected move, Donnie Brasco turned out to be a gangster film with a surprising amount of heart at its core. This arises from the relationship that develops between Lefty and Donnie. With Lefty acting as a mentor it initially has a teacher-student dynamic to it. But as they get closer, and as we find out about the problems that Lefty's own kid has, it develops into something more akin to a father/son like bond. There really is a great degree of love that is formed between the two men. For all its gangsters and stings and informants, Donnie Brasco is actually a film about friendship. It's a sharp, fascinating character study about these two men. And the dynamic between the two is compelling. Donnie grows closer and closer to Lefty, all the while in the knowledge that it's Lefty who will eventually pay the price for his deception. And I found the respective endings for both characters to be very poignant and quite moving. Having vouched for Donnie, Lefty knows that it is most likely the end of the road for him. He doesn't fight it however. He has too much respect for the rules of the game, and doesn't want to put his family in danger. The moment where he removes everything of value and leaves it in a drawer so that his family will benefit from it I found to be really quite touching. It's an excellent little scene. While after all that Donnie has done all he gets is a shiny medal and a check for a measly $500. All that time, all that risk, possibly destroying his family life forever, sealing the fate of Lefty….all of that for so little. He gets a half-assed presentation from a group of individuals who can't seem to get out of there fast enough.

Film Trivia Snippets - In an interview with the real Joseph Pistone, he revealed that he was never allowed to go home to see his family as is depicted in the movie. In fact Pistone didn't see his family for at least two years while he was working undercover. /// At various stages of the production Tom Cruise, John Travolate and Andy Garcia were all attached to star. /// Near the end of the film there is a rather perfunctory scene of Joe practicing his shooting at the FBI's firing range. This was inserted merely to appease the studio who wanted a shot of Depp firing a gun that they could use for the film's trailer. /// Despite the man still being in protective custody, Johnny Depp was actually able to meet with Joseph Pistone on a number of occasions to help craft the role. Depp also took shooting lessons from the FBI.

As gangster flicks go, Donnie Brasco is actually quite minimal in terms of its violence. And it's probably a pretty smart move as the film needs both our sympathies to lie with the characters, and for us to understand how Depp could have so much admiration for Lefty. It's hard to do either of those if they are constantly blowing guys away. The violence may be spare, but what there is remains visceral and shocking. The scene where Depp and co. are sawing dead bodies into chunks was quite something. What I felt the film was very successful in achieving was recreating the sense of uncertainty and anxiety that must have plagued Donnie's life for every moment of every day. Throughout the film there were numerous occasions where I felt the tensions rise as I thought that they were on to him, and that he was about to get whacked. I just cannot for the life of me imagine living such an existence.

The film is blessed with the good fortune that it is based on a true story, and has the first hand account from Joe Pistone himself as its source. As a result the events, the dialogue and the characters all feel authentic. Even with such a great aid though the film's writer, Paul Attanasio, still deserves great credit for taking the story and crafting a fine screenplay from it. It's dialogue is sharply observed and heavy on Mafia code, and really presents a showcase for its cast to shine. Also impressing is the film's director, Mike Newell. Given that to this point his most notable work had been Four Wedding & a Funeral he may not exactly have seemed like an obvious choice. Given the film's lack of violence however, and the importance placed on the dialogue and the performances of its cast, he actually proves a very suitable choice. He does a fine job creating such a tense, suspicious atmosphere.

So is Donnie Brasco a great film? Well what can I say but, “Forget about it!”

Conclusion - Donnie Brasco had all the ingredients to be a fine film, but it's certainly elevated to greater heights as a result of the performances from Depp and Pacino. Both men are fantastic. Outside of that though it is also a strongly written and directed piece, with commendable back-up from its supporting cast. I've often heard this film be described as one of the most underrated films of the 90s, and on this evidence I may be inclined to agree.


PS - There's one question I had about the film that someone can maybe answer for me. Or at least give me their theory. Towards the end of the film the FBI actually goes to the Mafia and reveals the truth about Donnie to them. Initially I thought he was being sold out but that obviously wasn't the case. So why exactly do they do it?

I always thought of that as kind of a '**** you!', we've won kind of moment. Anyway great review JayDee on another one of my favourite 90s films, I don't love it as much as Miller's Crossing, but it's very good.

I loved Donnie Brasco. Great review.

As you know, this is a favourite of mine. A friend of mine, if you will. Very pleased to see you liked it so much.

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5-time MoFo Award winner.

Great review of a great movie. Like you said, the 2 leads were excellent and I wish Depp would do more movies like this. If anything, I was a little underwhelmed with Michael Madsen. He played a great character in Reservoir Dogs, but overall, I think he's kind of a crap actor. I didn't believe him as any type of mob guy with power.

Thanks to all the people who praised my last couple of reviews - donnie, Daniel, Gunslinger, Frightened Inmate, cricket etc. Much appreciated.

Ah I see what you did there. Nicely done.

And be the subject of constant bitching and harassing? I think not! Harry can keep it!

Surely that's not the only one? You must have left rep for 30/40 movies, surely you didn't read all of them did you?

Thanks Mark. Forget everyone else. They all pale in comparison to getting praise from you.

I've got to admit his name isn't one I was at all familiar with really. But I'll certainly be keeping an eye out for him now

That's what I kind of thought. They were telling them to try and scare them into either making a mistake or getting one of them to testify. Letting them know they were completely screwed so they may as well help the FBI.

Had a look on the film's imdb board and found a thread about it. Apparently a common interpretation is that they told the mob to try and protect his life. If they thought he was just a rat informant they would have tried to kill him, but knowing he's an FBI agent they'd be too worried to go after him.

Suckface

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I've got some catching up with this thread to do. Reading your Donnie Brasco review makes me think I should like it more than I do because I do agree with a lot of what you say but I've always just been lukewarm about it.

Damn right you do! And I totally get what you mean about Brasco. Sometimes you get a film where you can admire a lot of it but for whatever reason it just doesn't generate any passion in you.

Will be back with another 90s movie tomorrow

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