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Miami Blues

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6.0/10 • 197

1990-04-201h 37m

ActionCrimeDramaThriller

Real badge. Real gun. Fake cop.

After Junior is released from prison, he plans on starting a new life in Miami. But when he kills a man in the airport, he flees the scene and finds Susie, a mild-mannered prostitute searching for stability. The two opposites become romantically involved, and Junior steals a badge and gun from a veteran detective. Using the officer's identity, Junior embarks on a crime spree and convinces Susie that he is the perfect man.

Directors
George Armitage
Editors
Craig McKay

Top Billed Cast

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  1. Fred Ward

    Fred Ward

    Sergeant Hoke Moseley

  2. Alec Baldwin

    Alec Baldwin

    Frederick J. Frenger Jr.

  3. Jennifer Jason Leigh

    Jennifer Jason Leigh

    Susie Waggoner

  4. Nora Dunn

    Nora Dunn

    Ellita Sanchez

  5. Charles Napier

    Charles Napier

    Sergeant Bill Henderson

  6. Shirley Stoler

    Shirley Stoler

    Edie Wulgemuth

  7. Bobo Lewis

    Bobo Lewis

    Edna Damrosch

  8. Obba Babatundé

    Obba Babatundé

    Blink Willie

  9. José Pérez

    José Pérez

    Pablo

Reviews1

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John Chard Avatar

John Chard

Sep 25, 2014

6/10

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

Media

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  • Miami Blues poster
  • Miami Blues poster
  • Miami Blues poster
  • Miami Blues poster
  • Miami Blues poster

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Status
Released
Original Language
English
Budget
--
Revenue
$9,888,167.00
Keywords
miami, floridaassaultthieffalse teeth