The Coen brothers do Gangster, and like most genres, they do it well. Set in the prohibition era (the most successful part of history for American Gangsters), Tom Regan (Byrne) tries to keep peace between some crazy, warring mob factions. This film contains so many tongue-in-cheek moments from the Coen Brothers and is so heavily stylized it could be almost seen as a spoof of the Gangster genre. Whatever your take, it demands repeat viewings like all Coen Brothers films to get the best results. Iconic Moment: Coen Brothers mainstay John Turturro (Bernie) begging for his life at Millers Crossing - a scene so good that they slapped its image on the front cover of the DVD. Worming his way out of being killed, Bernie excels in getting away with hedging bets from the chief mob leader, Caspar. The sympathetic and almost non-violent, Tom (the films main star, Byrne) lets him go and gives this film, along with the Gangster genre, a refreshing change from convention by providing a mobster with a conscience.
