Miami Blues (1990)

best movie i've ever seen.

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

A violent and often hilarious crime story of living the American Dream through any means necessary, even if you know it won't last forever. Fred (played ruthlessly by Alec Baldwin) is a man who doesn't seem to think ahead all the time. He comes to Miami to make a living after getting out of prison. He wants to start over, but that doesn't mean he's giving up the crime gig. Committing crimes to Fred seems like a drug, the first thing he does getting off the plane is steal and then another more violent crime right after that.Getting to his hotel he orders a hooker. The innocent hooker is Suzy Waggoner, or Pepper, who seems oblivious and always has her head in the clouds. Jennifer Jason Leigh gives Suzy a believable innocence and is responsible for most of the emotional expression throughout the movie. Suzy coming into Fred's life seems unexpected to him, but it gives him something to work toward, the American Dream.Fred Ward plays an at times pitiful Sgt Hoke Moseley. He is always two steps behind Fred when it comes to solving the crimes he's committed. The real relationship and core of this crime story, is between Suzy and Fred. Suzy asks Fred not to do any more crimes. She doesn't go out of her way to investigate and she doesn't ask questions out of fear of the truth. All of this leads up to a fantastic third act that, while exciting, does all of the characters justice.

A man gets off a plane in Miami to upset world of normalcy. In simple terms the story is that he seduces an innocent waif and goes on a crime spree around the city, one of those sociopath protagonists who do whatever they please. Baldwin is superb in the role; if Fight Club was adapted a few years earlier he would have been the ideal Tyler Durden.It's actually more elaborate than that. At first it seems he might be doing all this for just money but there's no calculated rhyme to his madness or anything he plans to do with that money. What we have instead is an inscrutable narrator pulling a prank on reality. Posing as a cop, he beats and robs people, then later prevents a robbery. He has come to Miami with a stolen identity, a suitcase full of women's clothes, so we get to understand that all this has been going on for some time across the country. This part makes for some great viewing if you're someone who enjoys caprice. But what I loved more, was seeing him through the eyes of the girl in a way that it provides a center, elevates it above crime fantasy. She's a a naive creature in the big city, innocently trusting in peoples' good intentions; working as a prostitute but she dreams of an idyllic American life where she can own her own burger joint and have a house with a white- picket fence to come back to, a husband and kids. She's a marvel to watch, very serious about love. And us knowing he is playing with her heart, feigning love, without knowing how much he's prepared to prey on her.Abstract sparks fly. His fooling with reality, in and out of guises to no purpose other than he can get away with mischief, versus her deep yearning to be grounded. The most marvelous scene is when he takes her to a large house he has rented for them and seen through her eyes is a dreamy haven come true.You can think of it with Lolita in mind, the portion from Lolita's disappearance on, with Baldwin in the role of Quilty and the cop as the narrator who is continuously flummoxed by his wily nemesis. It captures more of Nabokov's mischievous spirit than Lynne's square adaptation.It shows up sometimes in lists about modern noir but it doesn't belong really. Instead I put it up for inclusion in my short list of cult items from the 80s (released right after but very much a product of the time), next to Breathless, Society, Blue Velvet and Repo Man.Noir Meter: 1/4

Just out of prison "Frederick J. Fringer Jr." (Alec Baldwin) travels to Miami with the idea of seizing life by the throat and getting whatever he wants regardless of the consequences. After killing a member of the Hare Krishna sect in the airport he then proceeds to a hotel where he meets a young prostitute named "Susie Waggoner" (Jennifer Jason Leigh) who has the misfortune of being extremely naive. As a result she is easy prey for a man like "Junior" who manages to manipulate her in no time flat while at the same time embarking on a crime spree which leaves more than a few victims in his wake. One particular victim is a police detective named "Sergeant Hoke Moseley" (Fred Ward) who not only has his gun and badge taken from him but also his false teeth in the process. Needless to say Sergeant Moseley wants to find him pretty bad and Junior is making it as difficult as possible. Now rather than reveal any more of this film and risk ruining it for those who haven't seen it I will just say that all three of the actors just mentioned played their parts in an outstanding manner. I especially liked the performance of Jennifer Jason Leigh who was not only quite erotic but also seemed to be the perfect balance between both of these tough and hard-willed characters. In short, I thought this was a competent and enjoyable crime film and I have rated it accordingly.

One of the great scenes in this movie is Jennifer Jason Leigh's defense of her husband's good qualities.I just watched the 1970s BBC drama based on Trollope's 'Palliser' novels, and there's a remarkably similar character: Ferdinand Lopez appears as an 'adventurer' who, in the end, is a victim just like Junior Frenger. Both are a bit psycho, and seduced by their dream of success. Both end in similar ways, and both are defended, at the end, in remarkably similar speeches by their wives. I wouldn't be a bit surprised if Willeford read Trollope, or at least watched the television adaptation, whose success helped to put public television on the map.