Tom Reagan, an advisor to a Prohibition-era crime boss, tries to keep the peace between warring mobs but gets caught in divided loyalties.

The Coen Brothers attempt at a neo-noir gangster movie and what an attempt it was as this is up there with the finest gangster movies ever made. I must watch this one about 2 or 3 times a year and I’m hooked every time as soon as the Celtic-style score hits in the first act.

With a brilliant plot, beautifully filmed the usual Coen Brothers style, some wonderfully quirky characters courtesy of a great ensemble including Gabriel Byrne in arguably a career best performance, Albert Finney, Marcia Gay Harden, John Turturro, Joe Polito and cameos by a few regular Coen’s collaborators including Frances McDormand and Steve Buscemi, add to this that terrific score I already touched on by regular composer Carter Burwell and this is a movie that I believe has gotten better with age.