I admit. I've got a bit of a wart. On my fanny. Giving me the fidgets.
Miller's Crossing is top-shelf Coens for me. I don't get the "hollow" thing at all. Tom is ice cold but obviously vulnerable. Men with no feelings don't sit on the edge of their beds chainsmoking about nightmares, no matter how silly they were. Verna and Bernie were the only ones who saw past his flinty pale eyes. He loves Verna, is jealous of her, is terrified of being hurt by her. That final shot of Tom at the end tells you all you need to know about his heart.
Since it's probably a foregone conclusion at this point, I might as well reveal that the two Coen films on my list were Raising Arizona and Barton Fink. Miller's Crossing isn't far behind, and, in fact, that specific trilogy remains my ideal of peak Coen powers, the ones against which all other are measured. There's been many superlative contenders, and I'm still not sure if The Man Who Wasn't There doesn't come the closest. But we all know how serendipitous and/or fickle people embrace the various Coen adventures. Sure, the three above were my first taste of Coens (along with Blood Simple, which is great but remember I had to deal with the "I'm a Believer" version) and Arizona is almost certainly the one I've watched the most, whereas others may also be biased to those specific trysts with which they fondled through their distinct Coen impressions. But every single Coen movie has occupied both the best and worst list of one fan or another. I suppose that's a remarkable feat.
Miller's Crossing is top-shelf Coens for me. I don't get the "hollow" thing at all. Tom is ice cold but obviously vulnerable. Men with no feelings don't sit on the edge of their beds chainsmoking about nightmares, no matter how silly they were. Verna and Bernie were the only ones who saw past his flinty pale eyes. He loves Verna, is jealous of her, is terrified of being hurt by her. That final shot of Tom at the end tells you all you need to know about his heart.
Since it's probably a foregone conclusion at this point, I might as well reveal that the two Coen films on my list were Raising Arizona and Barton Fink. Miller's Crossing isn't far behind, and, in fact, that specific trilogy remains my ideal of peak Coen powers, the ones against which all other are measured. There's been many superlative contenders, and I'm still not sure if The Man Who Wasn't There doesn't come the closest. But we all know how serendipitous and/or fickle people embrace the various Coen adventures. Sure, the three above were my first taste of Coens (along with Blood Simple, which is great but remember I had to deal with the "I'm a Believer" version) and Arizona is almost certainly the one I've watched the most, whereas others may also be biased to those specific trysts with which they fondled through their distinct Coen impressions. But every single Coen movie has occupied both the best and worst list of one fan or another. I suppose that's a remarkable feat.
I think it's a deep and complex film on an emotional level, set inside a very artistic film, set inside of a gangster film which may also be a comedy except that it's a tragedy, which I just think is an amazingly delicate and beautiful thing to have pulled off.