runamokprods
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.
SnoopyStyle
Frederick Frenger Jr. (Alec Baldwin) is a violent psychopathic thief recently released from prison. He likes to be called Junior. He flies into Miami and starts stealing. A Hare Krishna bugs him and Junior breaks his finger. The guy dies. Sgt. Bill Henderson (Charles Napier) and Sgt. Hoke Moseley (Fred Ward) investigates the supposed homicide. Junior hires prostitute Susie Waggoner (Jennifer Jason Leigh) with a heart of gold. She's clueless to his criminal ways.Writer/director George Armitage seems intend on creating wacky characters than actually coming up with funny scenes. The actors are all putting in a great effort to do weird things. Baldwin is a psycho. Leigh is an idiot with a weird voice. Ward's got the teeth. I just wish more effort was put into making funny dialog and hilarious scenes.
Spikeopath
Miami Blues is directed by George Armitage who also adapts the screenplay from the novel of the same name written by Charles Willeford. It stars Alec Baldwin, Fred Ward, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Charles Napier. Music is by Gary Chang and cinematography by Tak Fujimoto.Ex-con Frederick Frenger Jr. (Baldwin) lands in Miami and quickly continues his criminal ways. Hooking up with gullible prostitute Susie Waggoner (Leigh), Frenger, by now under suspicion for the killing of a Hare Krishna man at Miami airport, steals the identity of the policeman investigating him and ups his crime spree...This is all about the characterisations, for the story is simple and played as a darkly comic hard boiled cop picture. We are in a stripped back Miami, no gloss here, wherever the psychotic Frenger goes, there is crime that he is only too willing to enhance. Quite often with violent but humorous results. His union with Susie is a matter of convenience, as she, the gullible tart with the heart, dreams of a white picket fence house - marriage - babies, he dreams only of her cash and the comfort of cover she affords his criminal doings. Then there is Sgt. Hoke Moseley (Ward), straight out of noirville, world weary, grizzled, incapable of genuine affection, tatty and someone who soaks his false teeth in a glass of brandy! It's a wonderful character brought vividly to life by Ward, especially when Frenger steals said set of teeth! And with Leigh and Baldwin also making good on the characters as written, this is very much worth a look for the acting performances.It's not under seen or under valued, the respective ratings on internet sites and critical appraisals are about right. There's some value in the dark comedy born out of the crime sequences, where we are dared not to smile, and the violence is impacting without hitting us over the head for the sake of it. But without Junior, Susie and Hoke holding our attention, the film would be flat and forgettable. 6/10
gusdanjaq
Miami blues is a really dark comedy with a lot more to it than whats meets the eye. Alec Baldwin plays a recently released sociopath murderer and thief who manages himself to steel a police badge in Miami. He is joined by a clueless hooker (jennifer Jason)who thinks she has found a decent man to settle down with. Fred Ward plays the officer trying to apprehend Baldwin and get his badge back. Mmiami blues is a great film mostly thanks to the performances by the three main characters. Baldwin does a beautiful job playing this psychopath in a way that you start rooting for him, even though he is murdering, assaulting and steeling from people, you start seeing him as a really sick guy with the mental development of a child. I mean we clearly know his actions are no good at all, but he plays it with a certain quality that even makes you feel sorry for the guy. This ambiguity with which he play the character is what builds the dark humor in this film, because he seems as if he really isn't aware of the possible consequences of his actions. Jennifer Jason beautifully plays the gorgeous and naive prostitute that finds herself falling in love for this criminal. Fred Ward also does a great job playing the cop desperate to recover his badge from Baldwin. This movie greatly shows Baldwin'versatility, and kind of makes me thing of a much lighter version of Henry; Portrait of a serial killer, in the way that both movies deal with leading characters that even thought their morals are highly questionables (they kill and steel just for the kick of it) they are not entirely unlikeable to the audiences witnessing their acts. Great performances, Really Good film.
AD
