With the addition of 15 minutes and an extras-laden bonus disc, this edition of director Barry Levinson's Bugsy (1991) represents a significant improvement over the previous DVD release of this contemporary classic. Giving what is arguably the finest performance in his stellar career, Warren Beatty plays Ben "Bugsy" Siegel, a vain, brashly exuberant gambler with a volatile temper and a dream of building a mecca in the Nevada desert. Soon Bugsy's up to his neck in budget overruns, with mob investors ready to kill him if his project—the glorious Flamingo hotel and casino—isn't completed in time for its scheduled grand opening. Throughout, Bugsy indulges his movie-star aspirations by courting Hollywood and also taking an ambitious actress named Virginia Hill (Annette Bening) as his West Coast mistress. Their rocky relationship gives the film its legendary star power (Beatty and Bening were married soon after the film wrapped), and the pair are backed by a superb supporting cast (including Harvey Keitel, Elliott Gould, and Ben Kingsley). The extended cut adds scenes that actually serve the story, while the bonus disc features a fine 90-minute “making-of” documentary, incorporating a splendid (and refreshingly candid) conversation between Beatty, Levinson, and screenwriter James Toback. Also included are two deleted scenes not found in the extended cut (one featuring Bebe Neuwirth, whose small role was nearly edited out completely), as well as the entire footage of Bugsy Siegel's Hollywood screen test, as performed by Beatty in the film. Highly recommended. (J. Shannon)
Bugsy: Extended Cut
Sony, 2 discs, 149 min., not rated, DVD: $24.95 Volume 22, Issue 4
Bugsy: Extended Cut
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