Sugartime

John Turturro and Mary-Louise Parker portray in fine fashion a mobster and his 60s pop-singer girlfriend. One can only speculate as to the factual accuracy of this insightful film about Sam Giancana and Phyllis McGuire. However, the film's repeated images of mobster brutality juxtaposed with a love story is chilling. This is a central theme in most mobster-genre movies, but it's not worn out here. "Sugartime" is one of the best of its genre.

Sam Giancaca is the head of the mob that runs Las Vegas. When he meets and falls for the lead singer of a group `the McGuire sisters' he begins to drift from his day to day duties and finds his leadership compromised as the Grand Jury looms nearer.

This TVM is based on a true story - I don't know any of the characters involved so I can only take their word for that. The story focuses on the relationship between Sam and Phyllis rather than the activity of the mob itself - it has some crossover but not much. This makes it feel a little tame compared to mob films like Goodfellas etc. We never really come to understand Sam's lifestyle in terms of the violence it contains, I was certainly never fully convinced that he had blood on his hands. That said, it's still entertaining. The director gives many of Sam and Phyllis's scenes a good sense of wry humour that helps make it feel a little more acceptable. The downside is that it does leave you feeling that the mob side of his life (the main part) has been dumped in favour of the relatively minor love affair.

Turturro can't be bad even if he wanted to and he does create an interesting character. His relationship with Phyllis is not as full as it should be, so it's hard to accept his weakness for her, but he's good for the most. Parker is quite good as Phyllis, she deals well with the part for the witty romance, but when it comes to confronting what her man does she doesn't convince. Of the rest of the cast the standout is the always brilliant Elias Koteas - one of my favourite actors. My God but if the man can be good in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles then he can be good in anything! Here he is OK but doesn't have a big part at all - of course I'm biased and can't help but single him out.

Overall this was enjoyable although I didn't feel I knew anymore about Giancaca than I did at the start of the film. As a lesson it fails, as 90 diverting minutes it has several good things to offer.

From the New York Times of 27 June 2007, about a just released batch of CIA documents.

"One technician was arrested in 1960 after trying to bug a Las Vegas hotel room. The operation had been requested by Sam Giancana, the Chicago mobster, who was then helping the C.I.A. in a plot to assassinate Mr. Castro. Mr. Giancana had been concerned that his girlfriend, the singer Phyllis McGuire, was having an affair with the comedian Dan Rowan, and surveillance was ordered to "determine the extent of his intimacy" with her."

I think this is a 'telling' incident on several fronts.

Not totally a love story, not quite a mob story, but a great mix of both. This movie opened my eyes to Turturo and his ability to capture a character's essence. He made me believe that this is how Sam Giancana really was. His mannerisms and interactions with the rest of the cast made this movie for me, especially because some of the acting was not up to par with his. For those looking for a bloody, murderous mob movie or an overly mushy love story, this isn't it. What you'll get, though is a great story about two different worlds bound together by the heart, while they try to continue their own ways. Great acting, great writing, great sets and great shooting.

I really like this movie. If you like bio/dramas , this is great. If you like mobster movies , this is a good story. If you're into history , this is a ticket... I totally recommend this film to anyone who has not seen it and has an interest in any of the above catergories mentioned. I havent ever seen John Turturro in anything other than this movie - and in my opinion - he is brilliant as Sam Giancana - almost makes you love Sam. Great flick! Rent it! Borrow a friend's copy!!See it!!!