Written and directed by Eytan Rockaway 
Starring Harvey Kietel, Sam Worthington, John Magaro, and Minka Kelly
Runtime: 1 hour 59 minutes 
Rated R for strong bloody violence, language and some sexual references.
In theaters and on demand June 25

by Miguel Alejandro Marquez, Staff Writer

Harvey Keitel has a filmography that makes most actors and filmmakers envious. His career is extensive and diverse, starting with the sleeper hit Who’s That Knocking At My Door, and recently was resurrected by the pulse-pounding Scorsese flick The Irishman. Both powerhouses showed that Keitel and Scorsese is a match made in heaven. Keitel is obviously no stranger to the mob genre, and had become the posterboy for American New Wave cinema.

Lansky has Kietel play the titular gangster Meyer Lansky excellently. But there’s a problem: the film feels like it was filmed by two different directors. The flashback sequences and the scenes in which Kietel is talking to struggling journalist David Stone (played by Sam Worthington), feel different. Scenes in which Lansky is talking to Stone feel like they're done within a void, not giving much weight to the actions of the past, nor really the present. The flashback sequences with a young Lanksy are sluggish and are not properly detailed, from Lansky being a low level criminal, to a defender of WWII-era Judaism, to a fighter of Nazi forces in America, to finally having a close companion of his dying. All of this is done with no real direction, as Lansky’s life jumps from focal point to focal point. An audience member will come to know that Lansky has fundamental issues, with both its pacing and general storytelling. 

Lansky is littered with problems besides the ones already listed. Poor cinematography, editing, and overall mediocrity, makes Lansky hard to watch. This film does not not experiment with this genre, and commits a sin that many film directors have no control over: you can feel the budget. The scope of Lansky is small, and almost every aspect of the picture is a reflection of this. The release of films like Gotti and Live by Night, has shown that the mobster genre has not had a solid transition into the 21st century. These are big film concepts shrunk down to the Walmart bargain bin. They’re B movies. Lansky is a B movie. But there’s nothing wrong with making a B movie, it’s only wrong when you’re wasting talent and opportunity. Mr. Keitel’s time was wasted with Lansky. 

Lansky does have some quality found within it. Worthington gave a genuine performance of a character that’s struggling to get out of his failed career; the only problem is that his character doesn’t go anywhere. He is literally stuck in his hotel most of the movie. But the character is as interesting as the notorious mobster at times. First and foremost, there’s the “Daddy is gonna fix your smile.” line in the film. A line of dialogue that gave weight to the actions of the character. But the sudden jumps of action, and the terrible story structure still loom over the movie and the movie’s character, regardless of the character’s intentions. The jumps of action are consistent with Lansky’s character too, as there are time skips for Lansky being both married and being a father, giving us no room to feel these big changes. A large section of the man’s life was skipped over, thus resulting in unclear goals and motivation. A woman we meet for one scene is now his wife. This critic cannot remember her name, nor the reasoning for why these two came to love one another. These two big story decisions back to back are both jarring and confusing, as there is no rhyme to the film’s pacing, and scenes come and go with no real direction. 

Worthington was not the only heavy hitter in this film. Meyer Lansky, being played by both Kietel and John Magaro, was a spot on decision. The casting made it seem like they could truly be the same person from different eras. Kietel playing a reserved Lansky knowing his time is coming, and Magaro giving Lansky a hot headed temperament.

Lansky himself is a character that is irredeemable, being a character who cares more about money than his own family. But there’s no fall from grace, no change in behavior, nor really any underlying message outside the atypical “greed is bad” trope. There’s nothing to really say besides this film being a waste of such a great American story. Do not blame these wonderful actors though, this problem is rooted deep in Lansky’s script, and will make you ask yourself an endless series of questions once the house lights are up.

You will ask yourself: “Who is Meyer Lansky? Who truly is he? What does he want? What were his goals?” This humble critic could not find the answer to these questions, nor will you. Basic filmmaking concepts were thrown out the window for this project, and will sadly, waste some poor viewer’s time. Come to Lansky not for the story, but for an experience that’s weighted by genuine performances and a sub-par ending.