As a premise Lanskyhad promise and there is still a great film to be made. Sitting in a diner waxing lyrical about his past life, Keitel always holds the attention, but director Eytan Rockaway does little beyond that. As the retired gangster reveals the untold truth about his life as the boss of the National Crime Syndicate that doesn't hesitate to kill or maim anyone crossing him. He can be reached at [emailprotected] and @pjgrisar on Twitter. The book is called, But He was Good to His Mother. The best thing in Lansky is Harvey Keitels turn as the gangster Meyer Lansky. Your film on Meyer Lansky isloosely based on the real-life story of your father interviewing the crime boss before he died. Rapoport, 66, also lives in Tampa but grew up in Miami around his grandfather. While some films about Jews and organized crime, such as Martin Scorseses Casino, have avoided much exploration of their characters Jewish identity aside from the odd antisemitic slur Lansky is upfront about the importance of Jewishness to Lanskys story. And I have to admit I do like Sam Worthington - I know that may not be a popular opinion or something that will matter in the rating for most people, but I thought I'd "explain" why I chose to go a bit higher than the average rating is right now. WebFor decades, authorities have been trying to locate Lansky's alleged nine-figure fortune and this is their last chance to capture the aging gangster before he dies. His father is Lanskys son Paul. Directed by Eytan Rockaway; story by Eytan and Robert Rockaway. From left, Sam Worthington and Harvey Keitel in Lansky, a film directed by Eytan Rockaway. Titled Lansky, the movie stars Harvey Keitel as the title character, a 1911 immigrant from Byelorussia who only made it through the eighth grade in New York but built a gambling empire from Cuba to Las Vegas. Attorneys who had handled the trust Geek Culture | Movies, TV, Comic Books & Video Games. Now 83 years old and living in Tampa, Florida, Sandi Lansky during her younger years hung out at the Copacabana nightclub in New York. It is not particularly artful, but it gets the story across. Unfortunately, there are other interested parties, who have more than a passing interest in the life of Meyer Lansky. What a waste of such great actors. The plot deserved better acting than this, nonetheless the story was really captivating and fun to watch. Flickering Myth Rating Film: / Movie: , Filed Under: Martin Carr, Movies, Reviews Tagged With: AnnaSophia Robb, David Cade, Eytan Rockaway, Harvey Keitel, Jackie Cruz, John Magaro, Lansky, Minka Kelly, Sam Worthington, Shane McCrae. It doesnt work on the level of a narrative device and Stone barely even works as a character. He never would have ordered that, Rapoport said in a telephone interview. Every memory he recalls can be his own, he can react from a memory of life or his life in the cinema. The reproduction, modification, distribution, or republication of the content without permission is strictly prohibited. WebDAVID STONEis the author of the New York Times Bestselling thriller novel The Echelon Vendetta. Minka Kellly, known for DCsTitans, is underused and an obvious femme fatale without anything substantial to do. SigInt is Signals Intelligence monitoring enemy communications. Full character development and great acting on all parts. Like Bugsy (1991), Lansky concludes with bizarrely upbeat onscreen text noting the positive economic impacts of the gambling industry. David Stone (Sam Worthington) is a down on his luck author. Meyer Lanskys daughter, Sandi, said she knew her father and his associates as honorable men. In Lansky, a misbegotten biopic co-written and directed by Eytan Rockaway, Harvey Keitel, now in his eighties, plays Lansky in his Miami twilight years in the early As a young Meyer Lansky he is calculating, cold and devious. They reminded me of the characters in Greek and Norse mythology who had the capacity and the will to be forces of evil inflicting tremendous harm and chaos around them, while at the same time they could be forces of good, honor and judgment, he said. There is no overkill. 2023 jewish telegraphic agency all rights reserved. Most of the film is functional exposition. In the new film, Lansky likens his business operations with the mob to that of U.S. Steel, which Godfather fans may recognize as a line said by Roth. There were many strengths to "Lansky," including the crisp photography, beautiful location filming, and the old cars. But you sense he may not have had more than a couple of afternoons to finish the job. Greetings again from the darkness. Federal law enforcement officials never really make an impact and a lot of screen time is wasted. When youre editing a movie, doing special effects, sound music, especially editing, when you get to a situation where youre cutting the film, not by seconds or by minutes, but by frames and youre doing it online with somebody in a different city or country over bad wifi it was very, very hard. He brings humor into the part, obviously relishing his scenes with David Cade as Ben Siegel. Six months after the Flamingo opened, Siegel was shot to death at his girlfriend Virginia Hills Beverly Hills home. Bring as many punters to the place as you can. It makes me want to know more, and how it ends. He is holding something back from the moment he meets Lansky, and we have to wonder why Meyer would agree to spill his guts to such an obvious wild card. The gangland clichs can be cringe-worthy at times, particularly when the film emphasizes Lanskys Jewish background. His demeanor toward the young writer reminded me of some of my own mentors. And it is that experience, and that old adage of "write what you know," that makes his book compelling reading. When Rockaway was young, his father, the historian Robert Rockaway, told him about the adventurous and dangerous lives of gangsters, the director said in an email. While I was never bored, I also found the film unsatisfying. Lansky makes a good case for the claim, and could have carried it out, even on the tight production. Richard Belzer was a Jewish comedian. As a young boy, it sounded more like a fantasy world rather than a historical reality, he said. If there is a heart to this film it can be found here. Lansky also discovered that he was three months behind in payments to the nursing home in North Miami, owing nearly $5,000. The only winners in life are those that control the game, Lansky declares at the top of the film, and Keitel owns this movie without having to get up from his seat at the diner. The writer here judges Lansky as he tells even the most personal stories. Forgotten 2000s Comedies That Are Worth Revisiting, Robin of Sherwood: Still the quintessential take on the Robin Hood legend, Dust in the Eye: Ten Tear-Jerking Moments in Action Movies, The Most Anticipated Superhero Movies of 2023, Ten Underrated Movies From 1988 That Deserve More Love, Action thriller The Siege gets a trailer, poster and images, Gun Honey spinoff Heat Seeker announced by Hard Case Crime and Titan, Director Peyton Reed on needing to go smaller for Ant-Man 4. The most comprehensive and authoritative history site on the Internet. Your Bio says you did Intelligence work. History is a guide to navigation in perilous times. But if you believe that then you probably believe lance armstrong won 7 tour de france races. Lacking the visceral malice, the actor is, perhaps, too nice a person. This is Lanskys story, and wed love to hear more of it. Lorraine Hansberrys second play had a white Jewish protagonist. Again, this has little to do the performance and more to do with the material. That one was nominated for an emmy! Or see it. In a delicatessen on his home turf in Miami, Lansky orders tongue sandwiches and quickly lays out the rules for the writer, a fictional character called David Stone (Sam Worthington): He cant use a recorder. The Lansky story was actually an interesting one, and I didn't really mind the reporter interview style of storytelling, but was told by writers Robert Rockaway and Eytan Rockaway in a very underwhelming and cliched way. From HBO, and rated R. This current version seems to include a LOT more violence, and details on the murders. I love these kinda movies but was really not happy with the way the direction and character ties went in this one. My reputation has a habit of preceding me, Harvey Keitels Meyer Lansky explains toward the beginning of Lansky. Dynamic moments feel glossed over, audacious character beats underwhelm and denouncements lack impact. Coming May 2010 the fourth book from the Micah Dalton SeriesThe Skorpion That being said, somewhere withinLansky is a good film fighting for air. One provision, what Lansky tells him must remain confidential until Lansky's death, otherwise he wouldn't like the consequences. Lansky, a retired gangster, after learning he is terminal, chooses a writer in need of money to write a book about his life. When you think about these men one often thinks of violence, Tommy guns, blood. It does not include images; to avoid copyright violations, you must add them manually, following our guidelines. It was an important element in his life, Rockaway said of the inclusion of such details. External Reviews As a kid, when he was telling you all these stories, they always sounded like mythical characters from Greek and Norse mythology. As Variety magazine puts it, Stone findshimselfcaught in the middle of a game of cat and mouse, uncovering the hidden truthabout the life of the notorious boss of Murder Inc. and the national crime syndicate.. His confessor of choice is David Stone (Sam Worthington), a down at heel bestselling author in need of luck. User Ratings So, that was actually the catalyst for this whole movie. Running time: 1 hour 59 minutes. Another upcoming Mob movie, The Legitimate Wiseguy, looks at Tony The Ant Spilotros role in helping an aspiring actor in Hollywood. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. The movie explores Lanskys elderly years in Miami, where the FBI continued to keep an eye on him. Pulling from his own fathers work, Rockaway follows down on his luck reporter David Stone (Sam Worthington) as he interviews the dying Lansky (Harvey Keitel) over a span of several days. Thats why I went into a lot of intimate scenes with his wife and with his son. I studied the criminals and gangsters who lacked empathy and emotion from a young age to the ones who lost it along the way, Rockaway said. Lansky is now in select theaters and is available to watch onApple TV. Rockaway is not alone in wanting to stress Lanskys Jewishness. Since then, he has been a member of the Department of Jewish History at Tel Aviv University. John Magaro plays Lansky in his younger years, and the cast also includes Minka Kelly, AnnaSophia Robb and David James Elliott. Culture Editor Tony Sokol is a writer, playwright and musician. 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