Today I watched
Miller's Crossing, a 1990 crime film directed by the Coen brothers. It's dense. There are many supporting characters with complex tangential links that the viewer is expected to infer with little explanation. To add to this, the plot is intricate and rarely presents all details to the viewer clearly. All of this complexity demands careful attention while watching, but it's quite rewarding.
As with most Coen brothers films, the dialogue is spot-on; it's accurate given the historical period but also polished. The cinematography could distract some, as it is different from what is characteristically considered film noir, but overall it helps to establish rhythm throughout the entire work. The noir elements that are present in
Miller's Crossing include the cynical dialogue and most of the character archetypes that are typical of this style: a prize fighter, organized crime bosses and enforcers, corrupt politicians and police officers, etc. What separates it from most other films in this style, however, is the depth of the characters. Tom Reagan (Gabriel Byrne) is dark and brooding in a way that makes one anxious to know what he is thinking at all times. John Turturo and Jon Polito's characters act as foils to Byrne's reserved, wily resolve, which results in great chemistry onscreen.
One thing that really stood out to me was how often Reagan got beat up. This guy gets the shit kicked out of him at least once every 15-20 minutes throughout this entire movie, by almost everyone else in the cast. Except for that and a few other scenes, the film's action is sparse but in a way that suits the tempo of the film. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to watch a crime film and is not afraid to be mentally engaged.
This trailer is pretty bad, but try and look past that.