I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

the audience applauded

Overrated

Fantastic!

Dear George Armitage, I was thinking about addressing my review letter to Charles Willeford, the great man who wrote the book on which your movie was based. But then I thought I ought to address it to you, because Miami Blues is a very influential film. Or lets say, it seems to have inspired the style of one of my favorite American filmmakers of the last 20 years - Terry Zwigoff. Zwigoff even referenced Miami Blues in Bad Santa.It is almost as if Zwigoff borrowed all the cynicism of Ghost World, Bad Santa and Art School Confidential from Miami Blues. Though it must be said that all these movies were based on the work of writers who had extremely cynical views about American life and culture.He also seems to have borrowed some of your style. Every scene in your movie is like an event. I mean, each scene could be a standalone video on Youtube. This is also the case with some of Zwigoff's films. I liked how you paid attention while selecting actors who played the smallest roles. They were all very memorable.Alec Baldwin really nailed Freddie Frenger - what a change from the usually portly all American hero persona (like Dave Robicheaux in Heaven's Prisoners) to the nihilistic punk in Miami Blues. But it is the cherubic Jennifer Jason Leigh who steals the show. Her character in the book was a lot darker than in the movie. Anyway, Leigh was adorable in the film as an airhead prostitute with a heart of gold. Fred Ward was decent I guess. But I thought he failed to convey how pathetic the Hoke Moseley character really was. Charles Napier - favorite of Russ Meyer also makes an appearance.There are no good or bad guys in the film. It is a messed up world. Everyone is pathetic or doomed. Nobody or nothing is really worth saving. Like the lyric from a punk rock song - "Everyone's an a*****, everyone's a creep. I look out my window, there is garbage in the streets." It is a shame you didn't make more movies, George Armitage.Best Regards, Pimpin.(8/10)

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.

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

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.