Sugartime

Sam Giancaca is the head of the mob that runs Las Vegas. When he meets and falls for the lead singer of a group `the McGuire sisters' he begins to drift from his day to day duties and finds his leadership compromised as the Grand Jury looms nearer.

This TVM is based on a true story - I don't know any of the characters involved so I can only take their word for that. The story focuses on the relationship between Sam and Phyllis rather than the activity of the mob itself - it has some crossover but not much. This makes it feel a little tame compared to mob films like Goodfellas etc. We never really come to understand Sam's lifestyle in terms of the violence it contains, I was certainly never fully convinced that he had blood on his hands. That said, it's still entertaining. The director gives many of Sam and Phyllis's scenes a good sense of wry humour that helps make it feel a little more acceptable. The downside is that it does leave you feeling that the mob side of his life (the main part) has been dumped in favour of the relatively minor love affair.

Turturro can't be bad even if he wanted to and he does create an interesting character. His relationship with Phyllis is not as full as it should be, so it's hard to accept his weakness for her, but he's good for the most. Parker is quite good as Phyllis, she deals well with the part for the witty romance, but when it comes to confronting what her man does she doesn't convince. Of the rest of the cast the standout is the always brilliant Elias Koteas - one of my favourite actors. My God but if the man can be good in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles then he can be good in anything! Here he is OK but doesn't have a big part at all - of course I'm biased and can't help but single him out.

Overall this was enjoyable although I didn't feel I knew anymore about Giancaca than I did at the start of the film. As a lesson it fails, as 90 diverting minutes it has several good things to offer.

HBO made-for-TV movies are usually based on actual historical events, the drama centered on a famous personality at a critical time in their careers. "Sugartime" is no exception, dramatizing the romance between mobster Sam Giancana, and singer Phyllis McGuire (one the three McGuire Sisters). Set in the early 1960s within memory-range of most American baby-boomers, and dealing with organized crime and the music industry, this should have been slow-pitch for HBO. But surprisingly they whiffed it, and pretty badly at that.

The movie is as flat as a pancake. Here's a man, as loathsome as his profession may be, he's at the top of it. And he's about to throw it all away (and maybe his life) for love. You might suppose there'd be some drama to this. Nope.

The movie is also sunk by the acting. The actors seem to be sleepwalking. The success of the whole endeavor seems to rest solely on 1960 Cadillacs, tacky gangster clothing, big hair, and countless renditions of the McGuire Sisters singing "Sugar in the morning, sugar in the evening...". Give this a pass.

I really like this movie. If you like bio/dramas , this is great. If you like mobster movies , this is a good story. If you're into history , this is a ticket... I totally recommend this film to anyone who has not seen it and has an interest in any of the above catergories mentioned. I havent ever seen John Turturro in anything other than this movie - and in my opinion - he is brilliant as Sam Giancana - almost makes you love Sam. Great flick! Rent it! Borrow a friend's copy!!See it!!!

Remember when the McGuire Sisters were at the top of their careers and everyone was dreamy eyed at the fact they had wonderful voices on the Ed Sullivan TV Show and also their father was a Preacher. When the facts finally came out about Phyllis McGuire getting involved with a top notch gangster from Las Vegas, WOW it was the Shock of the Century in those days. John Turturro,(Sam Giancana), "She Hate Me",'04, played the role of Sam to perfection and when he met Phyllis McGuire's parents, he made a complete Ass of himself and it was quite funny. Mary-Louise Parker,(Phyllis McGuire),"Romance & Cigarettes",'05, gave a great supporting role and had some real funny scenes in a motel room with their sleeping arrangements and final love making. It sure is a nice entertaining film if you happened to miss seeing it.

The real Sam Giancana was short, bald, old, and ugly. In my idealistic 20s I couldn't understand what Phyllis McGuire saw in him. If he had looked more like John Turturro, it would have made sense. Now, in my cynical 70s, I can see it was the butterscotch Cadillac convertible and probably a few other baubles, plus the seductive allure of being the mob boss's girl. Why didn't they use recordings of the real McGuire Sisters? They were pretty good singers, much better than whoever dubbed the songs in this movie. Still, the film is interesting because all these details didn't come out until long after the trio's stardom had faded.