Les rois de Las Vegas

Liotta is the only weak link to this decent about the the elite group of entertainers who lived a life of luxury and prestige. Cheadle, Mantegna are impressive as Davis and Dino, but it's especially MacFayden as outsdier Peter Lawford who adds dimension to the piece. The story is a bit unbelievable, but then again, these guys weren't exactly angels. Cheadle won a Golden Globe.

Most of us of a certain age will remember the events in this movie as newspaper headlines. I have no idea how much fictionalisation there is but the film does capture the mood of the time and the sleazy blend of Las Vegas show business, gangsterism and American politics. There is no attempt to get look alikes for the main roles but their personalities are suggested rather cleverly. In the smaller roles I thought Dan O'Herlihy was a standout as the evil, conniving Joe Kennedy. The musical numbers are well integrated into the plot and nicely done.

The HBO movie, "The Rat Pack" chronicles the high-living times of the famous Rat Pack (Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., and Peter Lawford) during the years 1958-1962. Supposedly based on fact, the story centers on the collision of personalities between the Rat Pack's leader, Frank Sinatra, and the Kennedy clan. In the story, Frank Sinatra so admires Senator Jack Kennedy that he'll do anything to help him be elected President. When it involves the dirty and unethical dealings of Joe Sr., Frank's reluctant, but game. Frank manipulates friends, brings in the Mafiosi, dumps on the downtrodden. So when Kennedy is elected what's Frank get? The shaft.

How much of the story is true? Who knows? But it does make for good entertainment, bringing along Marilyn Monroe, Bobby Kennedy, Joe DiMaggio and other period luminaries. The story is moved along by some excellent acting especially Don Cheadle as the tortured Sammy Davis Jr, Ray Liotta as Frank Sinatra and Joe Montegna as Dean Martin. It may twist the truth, but it's decent entertainment.

"The Rat Pack" was a fairly good film. There were some squabbles over the casting but there's only so far that you can go with a film. Ray Liotta does a fairly good portrayal of Old Blue Eyes by playing him off as a cocky, brash, fast living human being with a penchant for being connected. The always good Don Cheadle portrays Sammy Davis as a human torn apart by bigotry during those days. Angus MacFayden, despite the fact that he looks like Peter Lawford when he was a teenager, is good at playing Lawford as an adulterer and reluctant political confidant to Sinatra. Joey Bishop lookalike Bobby Slayton has all the mannerisms and the look of Bishop himself. Joe Mantegna once again delivers portraying Dino as the real confidant to Sinatra who kept the middle ground between Sinatra and everything else. The film focuses on the Rat Pack's glory days as well as it's tie to the Kennedy family. It's very good despite how short the film is. The only problem I have is that it stops abruptly and doesn't continue on about the Rat Pack, how it's days ended and what not. Other than that, The Rat Pack is a satisfying rental for any fan.

I missed this on HBO and was delighted to pick it up recently. With the possible exception of Ray Liotta, the physical casting was truly well done. Liotta plays Sinatra reminiscing towards the end of his life about his golden years, his old friends in the 'Rat Pack' and his aspirations to be loved universally by helping John F Kennedy into power.

What made this stand out for me is not only the wonderful recreations of the legendary on stage horseplay the Rat Pack indulged in, but also some of the private agonies, particularly those of Sammy Davies Junior, in another superb performance by Don Cheadle, who is given his own solo spectacular scene in a face off against the Ku Klux Klan.

The Kennedy and Lawford association is also covered in some depth, and the Sinatra character is well rounded - we feel for him much of the time, but his personality is far from sugar coated. As a film character, he is compelling, although Ray Liotta makes little attempt to emulate Sinatra in voice or mannerisms.

Joe Mantegna IS Dean Martin physically, and this helps the authenticity of the piece, but he is sadly underwritten, Gone is the hell raiser and womaniser of legend. In his place is a laconic 'Fonz', smooth with the ladies, but sleeping alone.

William Petersen nails Kennedy in spite of physical differences, and the scenes with him and Sinatra seem consistent with their characters. Angus McFadyen plays a nervous Lawford, caught between using his Kennedy connections to become part of the Rat Pack and keeping Frank out of the White House. Ava Gardner also makes a brief appearance in the form of Debra Kara Unger. Aside from the unusual casting of it's lead (Aidan Quinn would have been a much more realistic choice), my only real gripe is how suddenly it all ends, while you wait for a proper conclusion. This is a wonderful glimpse into the intertwined lives of some of the highest profile people on the planet.