Bugsy

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Bugsy

R

Released Dec 13, 1991

2h 15m

Biography

Crime

Drama

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Popcornmeter

84%

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63 Reviews

69%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

New York mobster Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel (Warren Beatty) leaves New York City to dip into the glamour of Hollywood, Calif., and to build up syndicate gambling rackets. Bowled over by actress Virginia Hill (Annette Bening), the dapper Siegel courts her, despite having a wife and children. Obsessed with creating a gambling haven, Siegel takes racketeering to the Nevada desert and helps develop Las Vegas, only to find himself in deep water over his reckless construction of the Flamingo Hotel.

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Critics Consensus

Stylishly scattered, Bugsy offers cinematic homage to the infamous underworld legend, chiefly through a magnetic performance from Warren Beatty in the title role.

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Neil Jillett

The Age (Australia)

[Beatty] tries to make Siegel humorous and glamorously suave, but Is defeated by the futility of the enterprise. This paranoid sadist is not a nice guy. He is not even interesting; merely a bully with a few colorful mannerisms.

Aug 16, 2021

Full Review

Carrie Rickey

Philadelphia Inquirer

From James Toback's crackling script to Warren Beatty's electric performance as gangster Ben Siegel, Bugsy is so engrossing that you feel uncharitable mentioning that while splendid in individual scenes, Barry Levinson's movie lacks propulsion.

Rated: 3.5/4

Oct 29, 2014

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John Hartl

Seattle Times

What finally distinguishes Bugsy from other mob movies is its ever-present sense of the absurd.

Rated: 3.5/4

Oct 29, 2014

Full Review

Rene Jordan

El Nuevo Herald (Miami)

Bugsy is a constant visual and auditive pleasure, also flattering to the spectators' intelligence. [Full review in Spanish]

Jul 27, 2023

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Mike Massie

Gone With The Twins

It’s the unconventional, erratic love story that remains the film’s most potent ingredient (the melancholy score by Ennio Morricone isn’t bad either), even if the educational notes about the famous rogue provide only modest entertainment value.

Rated: 6/10

Mar 31, 2023

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Quentin Crisp

Christopher Street

This is the kind of film that Americans make best: It is fast-moving, hard-hitting, and it is about power.

Apr 6, 2022

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Alec C

His name is Bugsy, so don't you forget it, Mug! Mobster Banjamin Siegal decides to make it big and invest in a casino hotel in the Nevada desert to rake in the money, only for his reckless ambitions to end up landing him on the bad side of many of his criminal cohorts. Warren Beatty plays the gangster with style, swagger and a serious ruthlessness that makes it hard to hate him, but difficult to root for him too!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/09/24

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jelisije j

A movie that focussed on a gangster that had all heart, dreams and passions of creating a place of his own perfect world.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

isla s

I really enjoyed this film - the story and characters were interesting and there's good cinematography (it looked pretty stylish), plus a good cast (including a stellar performance from Warren Beatty, plus Ben Kingsley, Annette Bening and Harvey Keitel). I liked the script - there was some witty dialogue and some amusing moments, as well as the grittier, violent scenes as well. I liked that some of the female characters were more than prepared to stand their own ground. I would definitely recommend this film, yes.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Offbeat and amusing gangster flick charting Bugsy Siegek's life…well a a hugely embellished version of his life. Makes for good entertainment and it's rare for a film of this genre to genuinely pull off quite a few laughs without losing its edge. Better film than I expected and better than many other highly rated gangster films.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/28/23

Full Review

Audience Member

This movie was a huge let down. Great people involved in the production. A director who seemed to be in top form. Just a frustrating mess.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

01/19/23

Full Review

Audience Member

The history of the Flamingo in Vegas is interesting and Bening knocks her psycho sultry role out of the park. Choppy storytelling was the only real drawback.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/12/23

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Barry Levinson

Director

Warren Beatty

Bugsy Siegel

Annette Bening

Virginia Hill

Harvey Keitel

Mickey Cohen

Ben Kingsley

Meyer Lansky

Elliott Gould

Harry Greenberg

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Bugsy: Official Clip - Bugsy Gets Whacked

1:47

Bugsy: Official Clip - Kissing in the Rain

2:21

Bugsy: Official Clip - Bark Like a Dog

2:30

Bugsy: Official Clip - Harry Messed Up

1:38

Bugsy: Official Clip - Nothing's Too Fast

2:43

Bugsy: Official Clip - You Want a Divorce!

2:30

Bugsy: Official Clip - Beating Joey

1:29

Bugsy: Official Clip - Dinner Fight

2:07

Bugsy: Official Clip - You Maniac!

3:03

Bugsy: Official Clip - That's Flamingo

2:21

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Synopsis

New York mobster Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel (Warren Beatty) leaves New York City to dip into the glamour of Hollywood, Calif., and to build up syndicate gambling rackets. Bowled over by actress Virginia Hill (Annette Bening), the dapper Siegel courts her, despite having a wife and children. Obsessed with creating a gambling haven, Siegel takes racketeering to the Nevada desert and helps develop Las Vegas, only to find himself in deep water over his reckless construction of the Flamingo Hotel.

Director: Barry Levinson
Producer: Warren Beatty, Mark Johnson, Barry Levinson
Screenwriter: James Toback
Distributor: TriStar Pictures
Production Co: TriStar Pictures, Baltimore Pictures
Rating: R
Genre: Biography, Crime, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 13, 1991, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 8, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $48.2M
Runtime: 2h 15m
Sound Mix: Surround, Stereo

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