Review of Bugsy (1991) by David K — 27 Jul 2008

This movie was three stars through and through. I was even on my way to calling it overrated when, all of a sudden, the last 30 minutes blind-sighted me. I then decided that this film is really, really good.

"Bugsy" has got style, it's got class, it's got personality. It's not your gangster movie from Coppola or Scorsese, but it still delivers on the artistic side. Director Barry Levinson creates a truly unique mob picture that delves into the creation of a dream.

That dream, of course, being Las Vegas. More importantly, "Bugsy" is about a man. A man with a vision. A man with a dream. A man who, no matter what, would weasel his way to the top, to get what he wanted.

Ultimately, it's a doomed story. It's pretty evident early on, from the dialogue and imagery, that Ben "Bugsy" Siegel is a wise-guy who is too wise for his own good. But, even with the obvious foreshadowing throughout, the film is quite engrossing.

It sucked me into that time and place and I loved it. If anything, Levinson knows how to capture an innocence in America that has long since passed. On the flipside, the director references himself so much that I actually caught myself rolling my eyes in annoyance at certain parts.

All in all, "Bugsy" is a really good film and all of the acknowledgements it earned are well deserved. But the film is no "Godfather." It is no "Goodfellas." And because of that, it will, unfortunately, never get as much recognition as it should.