BEFORE: It's tempting to change my order and exploit the Edward G. Robinson connection, but that would disrupt my theme, as this is another film about 1930's gangsters. Forunately, Peter Falk from "Robin and the 7 Hoods" was also in "The Player" with Bruce Willis (last seen in "Mercury Rising").
Squeezing in that extra film has really disrupted my sleeping schedule - my body now does not know when the proper sleep cycle should be. Not good news, with a vacation coming up.
THE PLOT: In the year 1935, a teen named Billy Bathgate finds first love while becoming the protégé of fledgling gangster Dutch Schultz.
AFTER: I'm guilty of fast-forwarding through most of this movie to get to the scenes with Nicole Kidman (you know the ones) so this time I watched the film for actual story content.
Right off the bat, I had problems with the story structure - the film opens with Dutch Schultz overseeing a gang execution, on a boat with one guy wearing "cement shoes". The intended victim asks to hear Billy Bathgate's story, so the film flashes back to that. After catching up with the present, the film fails to show us the execution, but it is shown later in a flashback. All of the footage is there, so there's no need for any of it to be shown in the wrong order.
Most of the film seems to be more complicated than it needs to be - the love triangle really dragged the film down, in my opinion. It feels like it never really kicked into second gear, and that most of the cast just wasn't given anything to do.
The plot concerns the trial of Dutch Schultz, which gets moved to a venue upstate, and Schultz's efforts to influence the jury by moving to that town, buying a farm, and working with local charities (nice tie-in with last night's film...). But congratulations (?) on making gangster life boring.
Also starring Loren Dean (last seen in "How to Make an American Quilt"), Dustin Hoffman (last seen in "Outbreak"), Nicole Kidman (last seen in "Just Go With It"), Steven Hill, Steve Buscemi (last seen in "Miller's Crossing"), with cameos from Stanley Tucci (last seen in "Quick Change"), Mike Starr, Frances Conroy (last seen in "The Crucible"), Moira Kelly.
RATING: 4 out of 10 races at Saratoga
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