Customer Reviews

Bugsy (Unrated Extended Cut)

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

i kind of found bugsy to be an annoying character. Although this might be an accurate portrayal of what he was like, who wants to watch a movie about an annoying character. He never seemed like a gangster except for the few times he got mad. He slowly screw himself over and you never feel bad for him just annoyed of him. There are some redeeming qualities though. The fact that its the true story of the beginings of las vegas make it educational and semi entertaining. I always like different looks at different eras in the histories of any countries so its likeable for those qualities as well. Another problem however is that im also sick of seeing women bring down gangsters. Gangs need to realize when its time to cut a crazy chick off.

BUGSY is an entertaining film about the career of the infamous gangster Benjamin Siegel. Warren Beatty does a superb job in the lead and the strong supporting cast includes Annette Bening, Ben Kingsley, Harvey Keitel and Eliot Gould. The time period roughly correlates with THE GODFATHER. Fellow mobsters Mickey Cohen and Meyer Lansky have key roles in the movie as Siegel's business partners.

Barry Levinson directed several other excellent films including RAIN MAN and GOOD MORNING, VIETNAM.

BUGSY won Oscars in 1991 for Best Art Direction and Costume Design. Nominations were received by Levinson, Beatty, Keitel and Kingsley. The film was also nominated for Best Picture, Original Screenplay, Cinematography and Original Score.

"Bugsy" is a very well made movie, but has the bad luck of be part of a genre with huge competition: the gangster film genre. With such classics as "The Godfather" trilogy, "GoodFellas", "Chinatown", "Scarface", "Once Upon A Time In America", "Bonnie And Clyde", "The Untouchables", "Angels With Dirty Faces", etc, etc, etc, "Bugsy" looks like a minor classic.

However, this is a movie that deserves at least a look. It has a deluxe cast (Warren Beatty, the pretty Annette Bening, Ben Kingsley, Harvey Keitel, Elliott Gould, Joe Mantegna, among others), a good director (Barry Levinson), a fascinating main character (gangster Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel), good music (courtesy of composer Ennio Morricone), well, overall the film has good elements.

"Bugsy" is a good movie, but with several superior movies in the genre, is not an essential movie.

Key components to this movie -

1, The Mob 2, LV 3, Seigel&Hill 4, Beatty&Bening

The screen play is of the highest calibre, with a detailed retelling of the Seigel story. Further the acting of certain characters is excellent, Harvey Keitel and Ben Kingsley.

Sadly I fear Beatty's performance falls, at times, into slapstick - more of the vein of Stallone in "Oscar" than one of the most feared players of Murder Inc.

I summary I'd say if you are a fan of the genre watch this movie despite Beatty, and if you are a fan of Beatty watch this movie despite the genre!

I prefer this extended cut 2-disc dvd of Bugsy, which adds another 15 min. to perhaps an already lengthy film. The visionary / gangster's life is legendary however, and worthy of this epic presentation, which in it's theatrical version was nominated for 10 Oscars. The photography is wonderful and well suited to the era, but some low-lit and archival scenes are noticeably grainy, which may annoy some. Personally, it works well for the story and the film is gorgeous in all aspects. So if you ever wondered who was crazy enough or brave enough to follow through on envisioning Las Vegas, then you might like this often romantic, yet violent slice from Benjamin 'Bugsy' Siegel's life. The second disc contains a filmed discussion between director Barry Levinson, writer James Toback and producer-actor Warren Beatty, inter-cut with other participants and film clips (approx. 1 1/2 hr.). It's mainly about the film-making process, and there's no specific reference made to the extended cut. Additionally, there are a couple of short deleted scenes and Beatty's extended 'screen test' as Bugsy.

Ben Siegel was an fascinating man.... yes, he was a gangster of the highest order, but well-liked, too-handsome, and charming... powerful and at times quite ruthless. Beatty does a fine job in his character, but at times his performance seems forced and he is clearly about 10 years older than Bugsy would have been. The story too, is a bit overly fictionalized from the facts and in the process, there are some holes in the plot. The "F word" is used by nearly everyone in this film, even when inappropriate.... and in the 1940s, the use of that word was rare, even by gansters, much less by women. On the plus side, this is still an engaging and well-crafted film and gives a taste of what the real Mr. Siegel might have been like. The set design and production of this film is first rate... some of the most authentic re-creations of early Hollywood I have seen on film... and the costumes are marvelous. This film's strong points are solid characters by the supporting cast, set decoration, superior matte paintings and an impressive music score. Worth seeing, but not on the level of LA Confidential, Chinatown or even Mulholland Falls in my opinion.

This is a great mob movie another Mob Movie-Video, Virginia Hill:Mistress of The Mob, starring Dyan Cannon as Virginia Hill and coincidently Harvey Keitel as Bugsy Siegel is also highly recommended!!!

For the pluses:
1. This movie has an excellent sense of timing
2. The supporting cast is first rate
3. The dialogue is sharp and interesting.
For the minuses:
1. Beatty's ever-present good-natured smirk makes his character appear less dangerous than he actually was
2. There was surprisingly very little romance between Ben and Virginia, so it was just a little unclear what created the obvious spark between them.
Overall, a very good film depicting a different kind of mob we're used to see (e.g. Casino) and a believable depiction of a man with a Dream.

There is a Scene in the movie-where, Bugsy's (Warren Beatty)
Mob buddies drop in at the wrong time (" Ben, We should't have barged in on you like this-enjoy the birthday party for little Millicent"). The Candles are lit,the tab kept for the flirting Mistress on the West Coast, just taken a beating from a fellow Mobster, blood trickling at the angle of the mouth-Wife Esta (Wendy Phillips) walks in "you think we shoud get a divorce?". The haunting background music of Ennio Morricone ampliflies to the misery of unfolding life ahead. The actor is not Marlon Brando-but Warren Beatty, it is not Coppola-but Levinson,This is not Godfather-but BUGSY,a Celluloid Classic,Probabably the Best Casting ever for a Movie after Godfather.Forget about Joe Esterhaus, William Goldman, The name is James Toback-the dialogue should be a primer for "How to write a Screen-Play for a Movie".I donot have time to watch junk Movies.Some of my own selection for good Movies happens to be:Shashank Redemption,Casino,BenHur,Cleopatra, Sound of Music,Casablanca,Gone with the Wind,God Father,Good Fellas and now BUGSY.These are not Movies you rent, you buy them and Cherish them like a flawless Diamonds.

I heartily agree w/ the above: "Bugsy" is as good as "The Godfather"...I'm partial to mob films featuring non-italian ethnic groups such as "Once Upon A Time..."(Jewish), "State of Grace"(Irish), "Miller's Crossing"(Irish),etc...Warren Beatty gives an oscar caliber performance as Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel, Murder Inc's hot-headed enforcer and prolific lady's man. Beatty's portrayal of Siegel's legendary, volcanic temper tantrums are incredible. Harvey Kietel's portrayal of the brash, West-Coast heist artist Mickey Cohen is a pleasant supprise as well. I think one weakness is that at times Beatty's demeanor comes off a little too "human" (for lack of better word)...the real Bugsy was a sociopath who specialized in "rape and murder", according to a recent biography. At time's it's a bit of a strech between between w.a.s.p.y. Warren Beatty and the real Bugsy: an unrefined street kid from the tenaments of Brooklyn.