Bugsy

A gangster sent from New York to Los Angeles becomes fixed on the idea of building a casino in the desert. Everyone tells him nobody will stop there. The film tells the founding of Las Vegas not as a business plan but as an obsession: the budget is overrun again and again, his partners lose patience, and he will not stop building. The narrative also brings forward his fascination with cinema; he watches his own screen test over and over. Barry Levinson directed from a script by James Toback. Warren Beatty and Annette Bening lead. Who it's for: those who like gangster biography and period design. Who it's not for: viewers seeking historical accuracy; the film rearranges events and dates freely.