Three decades ago success of Young Guns and its sequel convinced Hollywood studio executives that even seemingly obsolete genres like western can be made attractive to teenagers – increasingly important segment of the audience - if the film features cast made of young attractive stars. The similar approach was attempted with gangster epics in Mobsters, 1991 film directed by Michael Karbelnikoff.
The script by Michael Mahern and Nicholas Kazan is loosely based on the real life events in Prohibition-era New York. The plot begins in 1917 Little Italy where we are introduced to main protagonist and part-time narrator Charlie Luciano (played by Christian Slater), young son of Italian immigrant family who tries to make ends meet by engaging in petty crime together with his best friend Frank Costello (played by Costas Mandylor). The community is ruled by traditional Mafia chieftains like Joe Masseria (played by Anthony Quinn) and Don Faranzano (played by Michael Gambon) whose methods of maintaining power include killing of Luciano’s friends and harassing of Luciano’s family. Luciano strikes friendship with two other young men from neighbouring Jewish community – Meyer Lansky (played by Patrick Dempsey) and Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel (played by Richard Grieco). When Prohibition brings opportunity to quick profits in smuggling, four men start an operation that would be led by Luciano and Lansky as his trusted advisor. Their apparent success brings attention of famous gambler and gangster Arnold Rothstein (played by F. Murray Abraham) who would become their mentor. On the other hand, Masseria and Faranzano become to see young gangsters and their operation as competition. Luciano and Lansky conclude that the only way to survive is to exploit Masseria’s and Faranzano’s rivalry and join one of the factions in order to manipulate them into taking each other out.
The origin story of the modern organised crime in America was told many times on film and television and Mobsters doesn’t bring anything particularly original or illuminating. Like with Young Guns, the real and complicated history is simplified and real life figures reduced to archetypes and one-dimensional characters. Problem of having Luciano, a street thug, as protagonist is solved by making his enemies much worse, so talented British actor Michael Gambon gets wasted in the role of sadistic Mafia boss while veteran Anthony Quinn (who was, ironically, best friend with Frank Costello in real life) annoyingly overacts as his obese, arrogant and unmistakably evil rival. Christian Slater, on the other hand, plays Luciano as rebellious young angry man but this, on the other hand, creates good contrast with Patrick Dempsey playing more cerebral Lansky. Richard Grieco, despite being given the role of Bugsy Siegel, one of the most colourful personalities in history of organised crime, doesn’t have much to do except to look menacing; the only exception is the scene when he tries and succeeds to show “bad boy” image in seduction scene that also features some gratuitous female nudity. Lara Flynn Boyle is, on the other hand, wasted in the role of a showgirl and Luciano’s girlfriend that provides obligatory romantic subplot which would end predictably. Cast is, in the end, less impressive than those behind camera, like cinematographer Lajos Koltai, production designer Richard Sylbert and costume designer Ellen Mirojnick which work hard to give the film proper period credentials. They, however, work too hard to make this film resemble classics like The Godfather and Once Upon a Time in America as much as possible, resulting in devastating comparisons at this film’s expense. Although this film provides few interesting dance and song numbers during scenes at night clubs and weddings, music by Michael Small is mostly underwhelming. Mobsters in the end failed at the box office. Although watchable, it is likely to disappoint today’s audience which can see depiction of same historical personalities and events in numerous films and television shows like Boardwalk Empire.
RATING: 4/10 (+)
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