In Lansky, by Richard Krevolin and Joseph Bologna, the charismatic and fascinating actor Mike Burstyn gives us an odd portrait of a Jewish gangster, Meyer Lansky, who was the brains, the money-manipulator, behind a lot of Mafia activities during prohibition.
This is a tale of an immigrant family moving to America, of an anti-Nazi, anti-Bund fighter, a supporter of the State if Israel. It takes place in 1971 when the aged Lansky tried to be admitted to Israel as a citizen so he could die there. It's a great performance of a gripping story, and by the end, some of the real inner workings of Lansky's psyche are revealed by this powerful actor.
The settings are created mostly by Graham Kindred's fine lighting, and Bologna's direction is crisp and exciting - there's not a dull moment in this compelling drama.
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