Lansky (2021)

Angel With A Dirty Face

Meyer Lansky (1902 -- 1983) was an American Jewish gangster active in a broad range of criminal activities centering on gambling throughout his life . Lansky's story is told in this 2021 film written and directed by Eytan Rockaway and starring 82 year old Harvey Keitel in a masterful perfomance as the aged gangster telling his story to a down on his luck writer, David Stone (Sam Worthington).

The film moves back and forth between scenes involving Lansky, Stone, and the FBI which is on Lansky's case for an alleged $300 million fortune he has stashed away and scenes of Lansky's long criminal life, as he relates it to Stone. The movie begins with Lansky's childhood followed by his early partnership with "Bugsy" Siegel, his tie-in with the Italian mafia to form a large crime syndicate, his actiivities in Cuba and Israel, and much more. It also stresses Lansky's efforts to aid the United States' fight against internal subversion by the Germans in WW II,

This is a great deal of material to be covered in a film, and the flashback method and story between Lansky and Stone spreads the movie thin. The aging gangster's understanding of himself is central to the movie, more so than the scenes of his criminal career. The movie held my attention and told me what I needed to know in a short compass about Lansky and his activities. Keitel's portryal of Lansky is in a class by itself, but I liked the performances throughout. The Lansky-Stone-FBI component of the movie offers the opportunity to hear Lansky reflect upon his life He is intelligent , thoughtful, and articulate. The movie does not sentimentalize or make Lansky a hero, but instead it helped me understand him. Near the end of the film, Lansky/Keitel describes himself as an "angel with a dirty face", without trying to excuse his life. He almost convinces the viewer that this description is true.

With the exception of Keitel's performance, "Lansky" has received mostly negative reviews. I disagree with most of the reviews and like the movie. I learned something about Lansky and his world. I thought Keitel's performance aptly captured the aging Lansky reflecting on his life. The film rewards watching.

Robin Friedman