Miami Blues (1990)

Charming and brutal

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

Just intense enough to provide a much-needed diversion, just lightweight enough to make you forget about it soon after it’s over. It’s not exactly “good,” per se, but it does what it sets out to do in terms of putting us on edge, which makes it … successful?

Yes, absolutely, there is fun to be had, as well as many, many things to go boom, all amid an atmospheric urban jungle.

Not quite a great film, but an entertainingly odd and unique one. Full of rough violence and noir situations, but played mostly as very dark comedy.Alec Baldwin is very good indeed as a killer sociopath who somehow is also very likable when he's not robbing and beating people. Fred Ward is terrific as the scraggly cat of a cop who chases Baldwin down after Baldwin steals his badge, gun and false teeth, and starts to run around pretending to be a cop himself. And Jennifer Jason Leigh underplays to great effect as a pretty, dumb hooker, who falls for Baldwin, and doesn't figure out just what kind of dangerous, crazy guy he is until very late in the game. That said, it doesn't add up to a lot emotionally, Leigh's role is underwritten, and there are several gaping logic holes the film just ignores (Ward has dinner early on with Baldwin and Leigh, clearly knows he's a criminal, but just leaves?!?)But - those flaws noted - I've seen it twice, and fully enjoyed myself both times.

Based on the novel of the same name by Charles Willeford, "Miami Blues" is an account of an ex-con's crime spree that includes murder, theft and impersonating a police officer. It's also a thriller that's full of black humour, strong violence and action that's delivered at high speed. The sheer pace of this movie and the quirkiness of its characters are its strongest points and together ensure that it remains gripping from start to finish.After being released from a California prison, Frederick J Frenger Jr. (Alec Baldwin) flies to Miami airport where he steals a suitcase and gets hassled by a Hare Krishna devotee before casually breaking one of the guy's fingers in retaliation. Unfortunately, his victim dies of shock and this triggers a police investigation.Frenger, who prefers to be known as Junior, checks into a hotel and orders a hooker. The simple-minded Susie Waggoner (Jennifer Jason Leigh) soon joins him and they quickly begin a romantic relationship. Susie who's working her way through college, wants to settle down to a conventional lifestyle and so when she and Junior set up house together, she happily spends her time cooking for him and keeping the place clean. She's unaware that he's an habitual thief and that during his time in Miami; he's been carrying on business as usual.Detective Sergeant Hoke Moseley (Fred Ward), the veteran cop who's investigating the killing at the airport, comes to Junior and Susie's place because he says that Junior has been identified as a possible witness. The unkempt detective chats affably to the couple and shares a meal with them during which he consumes numerous cans of beer and clearly becomes convinced that Junior is an ex-con and probably the killer he's pursuing. After finishing his meal and inviting Junior to a line-up at the police station, he leaves.Incensed by Moseley's visit, Junior goes to the detective's hotel room and brutally attacks the cop before stealing his gun, badge and false teeth. This gives him the opportunity to go on another stealing rampage during which he enjoys posing as a cop and using every advantage it gives him to relieve various people of their money and possessions. The assault on Moseley led to him being hospitalised but after being discharged, this previously laid-back cop becomes extremely determined to hunt Junior down and bring him to justice.This movie's run-of-the-mill plot is illuminated by its characters and Alec Baldwin gives a particularly energetic performance as the violent sociopath who's also an inveterate thief and a pathological liar. Deception also features strongly in his modus operandi as he arrives in Miami under an assumed identity, indulges in a sham version of suburban life and masquerades as a cop.Jennifer Jason Leigh makes the naïve Susie a sympathetic character and Fred Ward is great as the sleazy, unshaven and cynical cop who's really struggling to cope but remains good natured despite being humiliated by Junior, ridiculed by his colleagues and having personal problems with his false teeth, alimony and indigestion. These characters' flaws emphasise their humanity and provide an effective counterpoint to the callous ruthlessness of Junior in what ultimately proves to be a very engaging crime thriller.

As the credits rolled and we had to listen once more to Norman Greenbaum's much overrated, Spirit in the Sky, I wondered what had led me to this movie in the first place. Based upon a book by Charles Willeford it is variously described as 'exciting', 'off beat', 'far out' or the more predictable 'underrated'. Whatever had led me here, I was left reflecting on how this film might have worked for me. The three main actors are fine and if Alec Baldwin is not one of my favourites he is certainly good here as is the seductive Jennifer Jason Leigh and eccentric, Fred Ward. First problem - nil chemistry between Baldwin and Leigh. Only the scenes with Ward in come alive to any great extent, so maybe Ward should have played the baddie and not the cop and done the frolicking with Leigh. Problem two, which, I guess really should be problem one, I don't believe any of it. I don't believe a freshly released guy would be so upfront and in everybody's face from day one. I don't believe in the prostitute turned housewife and I couldn't understand why Ward had to do everything by himself - he is a cop not a private eye. Okay, rant over, everybody else seems to like it, Spirit in the Sky included.

A charming thief named Junior (Alec Baldwin) embarks on a romance with a hooker named Susie (Jennifer Jason Leigh), a young, naive Southern gal, in this offbeat character study by director George Armitage. Junior steals from thieves who are in the process of stealing from others. It's a plot contrivance that strains credibility, since Junior always happens to be at the right place at the right time.The script's story is weak for other reasons as well. We never learn what motivates Junior. Why does he find it necessary to rob from robbers? With a runtime of just 97 minutes the film could have filled us in a little on some of Junior's back-story. Further, toward the film's end, there is ample opportunity for the cops to zero in on Junior. But they don't. And that makes the film not very true to life. I also question why the lead detective, a rather hapless guy named Hoke Moseley (Fred Ward) feels compelled to have dinner and engage in social chitchat with Susie and Junior.A couple of plot sequences were hard for me to watch because of the graphic violence. But in general, this film is fairly tame and low-key. Production design is fine, and color cinematography is competent. I liked the music, which included "Spirit In The Sky".Despite a weak script, "Miami Blues" is worth watching once, mostly for the really fine performances of Alec Baldwin and Jennifer Jason Leigh.