Bugsy (1991)

"Bugsy" was a major player at the Academy Awards in 1992, with 10 nominations in a variety of categories, including Best Picture. The biopic of noted gangster Benjamin 'Bugsy' Siegel featured recent Oscar winner Barry Levinson in the director's chair and certified star Warren Beatty in the title role. Focusing mainly on Siegel's relationship with Virginia Hill (Annette Bening) and his role in Las Vegas's rise to prominence, the movie was a success at the box office.The cast is impressive, with Beatty being joined by Ben Kingsley, Harvey Keitel & Elliott Gould in key roles. Annette Bening had just earned her first Oscar nomination and she proved quite capable of holding her own with Beatty. Their chemistry obviously extended beyond the set, since they were married a couple of months after the film's release. Beatty, Kingsley & Keitel all earned Oscar nominations but, to be honest, I didn't find any of their performances particularly outstanding, especially in comparison to their most memorable roles.The film's two Oscar wins were for art direction-set decoration and costume design, which serves to illustrate the movie's attention to period-specific detail. The direction, cinematography & score (by Ennio Morricone) were also nominated, showing the movie to be well crafted in all technical areas.James Toback's screenplay was also recognized with an Oscar nomination. It contains many elements common to gangster movies but takes a different approach by focusing on Siegel's relationship with Hill and his vision of Las Vegas as a mecca for gambling. There may not be enough emphasis on organized crime to satisfy fans of the gangster movie genre but the movie does paint an interesting portrait of Siegel as both a man of action and a dreamer.Ultimately, "Bugsy" has some good points but I think that hindsight has shown that maybe it wasn't quite as commendable as its star power suggested at the time. Chiefly, I find the acting and story to be a bit bland, though your mileage may vary. (Note that I haven't seen the extended edition but I doubt that making the movie longer would improve my opinion of it.)

Benjamin 'Bugsy' Siegel (Warren Beatty) is a married mob enforcer and fixer. He hates being called Bugsy. People fear him and he knows it. He goes to Hollywood to accompany actor George Raft (Joe Mantegna) and falls for starlet Virginia Hill (Annette Bening). On a trip to the desert outpost of Las Vegas, Bugsy comes up with an idea to build the Flamingo Las Vegas Hotel Casino.This has an overt gangster style. The story could be tighter but the performances are great. Bening is cool and Beatty is terrific. He is utterly charming. He is funny with the name. He is threatening when he needs to be. It's a great performance.

I have to say that Barry Levinson's Bugsy made my list of my favorite mob movies because all of the acting and the violence are the total ingredients for a prefect mob movie. Warren Beatty is perfectly cast as real life mobster named Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel known for opening a hotel/casino in Las Vegas called the flamingo. The movie has great supporting work from Harvey Keitel and the great Ben Kingsley, and an excellent score from the legendary Ennio Morricone. Director Barry Levinson knows how to execute a great mob movie but can make mistakes sometimes with how he tells his actors how to act. In the movie every cast member is terrific as the character he/she plays but i have to say that the performance by Annette Bening was a little over the top when she thought that Warren Beatty's character was going out with a woman he just hired for a job at the hotel. Otherwise the movie is 100% historically accurate and the movie was a great effort to put on the big screen. But i have to say that it is still a great mob picture.

Most Critics Loved or at least Liked this Overrated Movie with multiple Oscar Nominations and two Wins, a strong Cast and a good Director. It looks Fantastic and the Period is perfect. It is a Movie that is distant while trying to be very Up-Close and Personal. Warren Beatty's relentlessly Manic Portrayal of the Infamous Mobster is breathless and forced.Things are brought along with a lot of Dialog, most of it sharp and sometimes funny, but most times Bugsy is ranting or spouting in such a deliberate, speedy, and powerful pace that it is exhausting. Especially when He is Sparring with His Lover. The Movie hardly ever slows down and it drains the Life right off the Screen. It is unyielding and lets what could have been a strong Character run amok. There are some good Supporting Roles that are a relief when the spotlight is on them, which isn't often. The Worst though, is Joe Mantegna completely miscast as George Raft. They just let Beatty, in Hyper-Drive steer the thing and it goes off the road more than once.Worth a Watch, but take a deep breath, because once this thing starts it will suck the Oxygen from the room.