Bugsy is a character study of mobster Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel wrapped up in a gangster movie. Siegel (
Warren Beatty
in a flashy performance) arrives in California in the Forties, assigned
to oversee the L.A. rackets. He is quickly seduced by both the glamour
of Hollywood and actress Virginia Hill (
Annette Bening),
whom he romances despite being unable to leave his wife and children.
Siegel soon has a vision to transform a barren stretch of Nevada desert
into an oasis of gambling and entertainment -- the seeds from which Las
Vegas was sown. Funded by his gangster bosses, including Meyer Lansky (
Ben Kingsley),
the flamboyant Siegel sees his budget soar past its original $6
million, a problem compounded by the fact that Virginia has embezzled $2
million of it. In trouble with his superiors, Siegel flies back to L.A.
to face the music, telling Virginia to keep the money. He would not
live to see his dream of Las Vegas come true. The film is fast-paced and
well-directed by
Barry Levinson, with an intelligent script by
James Toback and excellent support from
Kingsley and
Harvey Keitel as gangster Mickey Cohen.
