Review of Bugsy (1991) by Dylan D — 01 Jul 2007

Bugsy is a good film that disappoints mainly because of the potential which wasn't reached through Levinson's mediocre direction. The story was masterful, and the cast was top notch. Levinson was simply a poor choice for this type of material, and the film suffers heavily from his weak decisions.

Ben Siegel is such an emotionally complex character, and Beatty brings him to life with ease. Las Vegas wasn't founded by him, but it was heavily popularized, which is extremely admirable considering the circumstances of which the city was formed upon.

I disagree heavily with Levinson's decision to include a very brief period in Siegel's life. What could have been a three hour masterpiece was crammed into a two hour mediocre biopic. Bugsy's obsession was not clearly explained, and his vengeance towards others went untold. Bening's performance isn't enough to explain the real demeanor of Virginia Hill, or the reasoning behind Bugsy's loyalty to such a flawed and unlikeable woman.

From a technical standpoint, there are many areas to marvel at. The set decorations, costumes, lighting, and sound were all performed remarkably. Most notably, the costumes which provide a great sense of the period of which the story is set. However, when combining the great aspects with the crucial decisions made by the superior filmmakers, it's obvious who's to blame for the faults and predominant mistakes.

I don't hate this film, but I wince to think what it could have been. Not a bad movie, but it isn't the masterpiece that the material called for.