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Lansky (2021 film)

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Lansky
Official poster
Directed byEytan Rockaway
Written byEytan Rockaway
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyPeter Flinckenberg
Edited by
Music byMax Aruj
Production
company
Above the Clouds
Distributed by
Release date
  • June 25, 2021 (2021-06-25)
Running time
119 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$5 million[2]

Lansky is a 2021 American biographical crime drama about the famous gangster Meyer Lansky, written and directed by Eytan Rockaway. It stars Harvey Keitel, Sam Worthington, AnnaSophia Robb, Minka Kelly, David James Elliott, and John Magaro.

It was released on June 25, 2021, by Vertical Entertainment.

Plot

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When the aging Meyer Lansky is investigated one last time by the FBI, who suspect he has stashed away millions of dollars over half a century, the retired gangster spins a dizzying tale, revealing the untold truth about his life as the notorious boss of Murder, Inc. and the National Crime Syndicate.

Cast

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Production

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In May 2019, it was announced Harvey Keitel, Sam Worthington, Emory Cohen, and Austin Stowell had joined the cast of the film, with Alexandra Daddario and Tony Danza in negotiations to join with Eytan Rockaway directing from a screenplay he wrote.[3] In February 2020, it was announced AnnaSophia Robb, Jackie Cruz, John Magaro, David Cade, David James Elliott, Alon Abutbul, and Minka Kelly had joined the cast of the film, with Cohen, Stowell, Daddario, and Danza no longer attached to it.[4]

Principal photography lasted 20 days in Alabama in February 2020.[5][2]

Release

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In May 2021, Vertical Entertainment acquired distribution rights to the film, and set it for a theatrical and on VOD release on June 25, 2021.[6][7][8]

Reception

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On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 64% of 44 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.20/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Harvey Keitel delivers a reliably powerful performance as the title character, but Lansky lets him down with flawed storytelling and an overload of clichés."[9] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 45 out of 100, based on seven critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[10]

Joe Leydon from Variety wrote "Keitel [...] infuses his performance here with more than enough lion-in-winter gravitas to dominate every moment he is on screen, and quite a few when he isn't."[11] Richard Roeper from Chicago Sun Times said "Harvey Keitel takes a swing at portraying the 'Mob's Accountant' and Keitel is as reliable as he's always been - but while this is a well-filmed and well-acted story, much of the material has been covered in superior movies."[12]

References

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  1. ^ "Lansky (2021)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
  2. ^ a b Barrett, Claire (June 30, 2021). "'Lansky' Film Takes Closer Look at the Financial Wizard of Organized Crime". HistoryNet. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
  3. ^ Clarke, Stewart (May 17, 2019). "Harvey Keitel to Play Gangster Meyer Lansky in Biopic (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
  4. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (February 13, 2020). "'Lansky': DC 'Titans' Actress Minka Kelly & More Join Harvey Keitel & Sam Worthington In Gangster Epic – EFM". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
  5. ^ Underwood, Jerry (February 19, 2020). "Alabama film industry set for blockbuster year after record 2019". Made in Alabama. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
  6. ^ Kroll, Justin (May 19, 2021). "Vertical Entertainment Lands Rights To Crime Drama 'Lansky' Starring Harvey Keitel and Sam Worthington". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 19, 2021.
  7. ^ "Lansky (2021) - Financial Information". The Numbers. Nash Information Services, LLC. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
  8. ^ "Lansky (2021)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
  9. ^ "Lansky (2021)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved February 2, 2022.
  10. ^ "Lansky Reviews". Metacritic. Red Ventures. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
  11. ^ Leydon, Joe (June 24, 2021). "'Lansky' Review: Harvey Keitel Propels an Uneven Biopic About Notorious Mobster Meyer Lansky". Variety. Retrieved October 22, 2021.
  12. ^ Roeper, Richard (June 23, 2021). "'Lansky' fails to capitalize on its chief asset: Meyer Lansky". Chicago Sun Times. Retrieved October 22, 2021.
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