Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Richard Dreyfuss | ... | Meyer Lansky | |
Yosef Carmon | ... | Rabbi / Caretaker (as Yosi Carmon) | |
Mosko Alkalai | ... | Jewelry Shopkeeper (as Moscu Alcalay) | |
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Fima Noveck | ... | Hasid in Grodno |
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Joshua Praw | ... | Meyer Lansky Age 8 |
Bernard Hiller | ... | Max Lansky | |
Jill Holden | ... | Yetta Lansky | |
Larry Moss | ... | Benjamin Lansky | |
Chris Marquette | ... | Jake Lansky Ages 9-11 (as Christopher Marquette) | |
Ryan Merriman | ... | Meyer Lansky Ages 12-14 | |
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Benjamin Kimball Smith | ... | Irish Gang Leader (as Benjamin K. Smith) |
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Brian Casey | ... | Irish Boy #1 |
Adam Hendershott | ... | Irish Boy #2 | |
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Daniel Sagal | ... | Irish Boy #3 |
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Anthony Medwetz | ... | Benny Siegel Age 11 |
This is the telling of the life of organized crime boss, Meyer Lansky, as remembered by him as a very old man who is moving about the world looking for some country that will take him in since the US courts have put out an extradition order for him to stand trial. It tells of a young man growing up in the Jewish ghettos of America's big cities at the turn of the century and of his bright intelligence which he used for moving into crime. "I'm only a gambler," he claimed, "just like most all Americans." When asked by a reporter to comment on the killings that occurred under his leadership he declined, thereby making this film's thrust that of personalities and relationships rather than of acts of violence or the workings of corrupt deeds. Written by BOB STEBBINS <stebinsbob@aol.com>
If done well, this would be a very interesting movie, but as it is, it's very marginal. The shift from his youth days, to his 30's and 1978 gets very confusing. There are times the issue of Meyer Lansky being Jewish is brought up in the film, but later it's simply forgotten. That's the scenes during his childhood and the 1978 scenes. Between that, nothing. All we see in the film is only about Lansky, but it would have been interesting to see what his friends and enemies think and mean about him. I'm losing faith in HBO movies.
The verdict: 1.5 of 5 stars.