Miami Blues

and entertaining movie, though, in NO WAY do I consider this a comedy.

Excellent performances by Baldwin and Ward, but especially Jennifer Jason Leigh. If this had been recognized as a regular 'REAL' motion picture, she might have been nominated for an Oscar. Absolutely one of her best performances.

Kudos all around.

But this ain't no comedy.

And, on a side note, I believe Shirley Stoler was at one time an actress known as Shirley Kirkpatrick.

Alec Baldwin sports a great haircut in Miami Blues and knows it. He struts and swaggers through the movie like the cock of the walk, having a high old time and giving us one, too. It's an exhilarating, watch-this performance that can't help but call attention to itself but luckily happens to fit the character.

The character isn't so much fun. He's a happy-go-lucky psycho just sprung from prison and landed in Miami, where he brushes off a Hare Krishna acolyte in the airport by breaking his finger (the poor guy dies of shock). At his hotel he orders up a hooker (Jennifer Jason Leigh); they hit it off and pair up, mainly because `Princess Not-So-Bright' has trouble with independent thought. Then Baldwin is off and running through Dade and Broward Counties, stealing wallets and identities, staging impromptu holdups, and running giddily amok.

Tired old cop Fred Ward picks up his scent, and even shares a meal of many brews and Leigh's pork chops with the couple. But Baldwin turns the tables and ambushes Ward in his ratty old residential hotel, putting him in the hospital. The upside is that now Baldwin's got a new identity – Ward's – with a gun and a badge to prove it. Flamboyant and reckless, he continues his felonious spree like an overgrown kid playing cops and robbers. But he can't keep it up forever, not even in the anything-goes milieu of South Beach....

Miami Blues is drawn from a crime novel by Charles Willeford, who wrote (he died before the picture was adapted) in the playful, inventive Elmore Leonard vein. There's not much plot, just enough to hold together the characters, which it's about (and the movie's full of quirky characters, memorably including Shirley Stoller). But, though Ward gets top billing and Leigh flashes her credentials as a graduate of the Meryl Streep Academy of Accents, it's Baldwin's movie. If you're fond of ham, you're in for a feast.

It's hard to peg this movie. "Miami Blues" seems to dance along the lines of black comedy, quasi-psycho thriller and pastel noir. And it's offbeat, to say the least; something like this doesn't just come along every day. But the comedic elements didn't work for me; I guess I was just never in sync with its sense of humor.

I was much more interested in Jennifer Jason Leigh's character, of the three (Ward and Baldwin are certainly no amateurs). Her character's not bright, but just sweet enough to make you feel bad when she's emotionally abused. It'd be an understatement to say she walks away with this movie.

5/10

This is one of those movies that perhaps not a lot of people saw, but for me, it's one of those 'obscure classics'. A little quirky at times, but it just looked like a fun movie to act in, and definitely a fun movie to watch. The cast does a great job, especially Alec Baldwin and Fred Ward. They just really seemed to be enjoy their characters. Jennifer Jason Leigh gives her usual solid performance in yet another offbeat role. Alec Baldwin always seems to give some 'classic scene' deliveries (Glengarry Glen Ross, Malice, The Edge, etc.), and once again here in Miami Blues, he scores some big ones. On the bed, counting the stolen money, doing Al 'Scarface' Pacino. Rhyming while finding the 'very big' gun. The entire dinner scene with Ward's Moseley. Stopping the store burglar with a jar of spaghetti sauce. His 'raid' of the betting room ('remain silent'). -Etc. etc. These are just a few examples of some of his classic scenes or lines. They're usually hysterical!!

Anyway, there is some violence, some 'dark' comedy (e.g. Ravindra!), etc., but overall, I think this movie was very entertaining and a nice offbeat surprise with some great performances and lines. Chalk it up under one of my 'Top Ten Favorites That Not Everybody Saw'.

Fred Frenger Jr is just out of prison when he flies into Miami. When he accidentally kills someone at the airport he becomes hunted by the police - something that his criminal activities can't afford. When Sergeant Moseley gets too close to catching him, Jnr robs him taking his badge, gun and false teeth. Living with his wife (under a lie) Jnr starts to live out the life as a cop AND a criminal while Moseley tries to get him.

I've seen this film a couple of times and still am not 100% sure what it wants to be, a comedy, a violent crime thriller or a mix of both. A mix of both would seem to be the answer but the two don't seem integrated only separate throughout the film. What the film comes across as, is the story of two men, both of whom have their own humorous touches and quirks that make the story work quite well.

The story is quite violent and is best viewed as a crime thriller that happens to have dark humour through it. While the plot seems to lack a real obvious direction it is the characters that take the film along. Frenger is violent and unhinged and played very well by a crazy looking Baldwin. Moseley is a stronger character whom I would have liked to have seen more of in the film - he is cheap, dirty and very interesting. Ward fits him like a glove and plays the character well. The third strong in the bow is rather sympathetic and is well done by Leigh who delivers an interesting character.

Overall this is a strange hybrid but it works well. It has all the traits of a pulp thriller with dark comedy, even if the plot is less substantial than I'd expected it to be. Overall this is an underrated little film that is well worth keeping an eye out for, if only for it's characters and dark humorous violence.