Bully. Coward. Victim. The Story of Roy Cohn

Excellent history lesson. An influencer of McCarthy, successfully prosecuted the Rosenbergs, and rubbed elbows with the likes of Barbara Walters, Estée Lauder, Andy Warhol, Cardinal Spellman, Trump, Fat Tony. Endless weaver of connections, always for self-benefit. A cautious tale, more pernicious because it is true.

Well, this is indeed an enlightening documentary given the current state of the USA. Trump has emulated Cohn's playbook. And it's starkly obvious. The amount of corruption in USA politics is nothing new. But it is interesting to see how people can so easily manipulate it using money, power and influence. Cohn was an awful human being. And the people trying to say this documentary is biased or slanted, are the same people who will excuse felons in the White House. This documentary showed how easily people are manipulated. People love proximity to power and to see people openly admit they were friends with Cohn because it benefited them, is just an echo of history we see today. Unless corruption affects them, they don't care. Fascinating.

I went into this documentary not being to familiar with Roy Cohn or the Rosenbergs so this review is from an outsider's (non-US) perspective and not political.

Roy Cohn was certainly an interesting individual in looks, actions and drive. A man who was gay and Jewish in a time when both would have been pilloried. He proudly declared that he has no assets so the IRD can't get them. Early on in his career (age 26) he oversaw the prosecution and eventual death by electrocution of Julius and Ethyl Rosenberg for treason (or rather conspiracy to commit espionage for the USSR) and much is made of them selling or giving the plans to the atomic bomb to the Soviets. He was an advsior to McCarthy, attorney for the mob and rubbed shoulders with the rich and powerful, Trump being the main target in this documentary.

It was directed by Ivy Meeropol, a granddaughter of the Rosenbergs which is probably where the issues start. The documentary makes no bones about it's position on Roy Cohn, he is evil and this repeated through out by enemies and so called friends. It alludes to the Rosenbergs being innocent by claiming an unfair trial where lies were used to ensure a guilty verdict. Although no deep dive or proof, just a lot of innuendo and finger pointing. In fact if you listen carefully there is the admission that Julius was guilty to some degree and Ethyl was innocent. This line was not pursued. Unfortunately for the family, both have since been proven guilty through Soviet records and were major suppliers of information.

What is evident is that this documentary's main aim was to discredit Roy Cohn in his private life as well as business life despite his success. Salacious rumors and gossip abounded. His involvement with Studio 54, his toyboys were ever present and his grand living despite having no assets. There was a segment on the bank account of one of his lovers (Peter Fraser) where 100 of 1000s of dollars were deposited from RCs business. What a shame this wasn't explored more instead it was labelled money laundering and mentioned no more. He frequently ignored paying bills and wrote notes to his secretary not to pay accounts.

Interviews with the gay community who 'saw' RC at various gay hotspots and who were only too keen to spill the beans. His friends (none of whom I've ever heard of) regaling stories of his tight fistedness with funny stories of items being delivered then reclaimed after non-payment.

And eventually his death from AIDS which he denied having till the end.

Where this went wrong in my opinion is that it had an agenda. If he was such good friends with the high and powerful where were the interviews? Who is a friend with an evil man? He had a huge attendance to his birthday party but no one was interviewed. He was with Peter Fraser till the end but no interview (assuming he is still alive). I'm sure RC was a man you didn't trifle with and may even have been thoroughly disreputable, even evil but there was no balance in the 'documentary'. You just had to take the narrators word for it. The clips were were tied in with the gay scene of New York from the 70s and much was made of his personal life although very little corroborated, gossip aside. What of his business and how he made money? Why was he liked, what did he do for them or what did he have over them. Trump was trotted out as the 'high and powerful' yet he was also an advisor to Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan and Rupert Murdoch.

There were too many stories that needed deep diving (Rosenbergs, dealings with the Mafia and his hand in NY contracts to name a few) but the only thing that was explored, maybe too deep was his sexuality. A shame really, he looks to be worthy of a better exploration to really find the man who is Roy Cohn.

I gave it a 5, it kept me interested and I will do more research and as salacious as the gossip and 70s gay scene was it kept me watching to the end. A 5 for the voyeur in me.

In its attempt to show Cohn from various angles, I felt this film treated Cohn with kid gloves and danced around the edges. While the filmmaker is a granddaughter of the Rosenbergs, whom Cohn had put to death, it seems she worked out of need to humanize the madman. It's a commendable, especially given the circumstances, however I really wanted this film to slice him to ribbons. I don't fault her. The film was good and I learned a couple new things I hadn't before (duPont fracass, for one), it just ended before I was sated. I had a different set of expectations going in.

The director is the granddaughter of the Rosenbergs. Their execution would never have taken place without Roy Cohn's villainy. Yet, it is crafted with such depth of understanding and refinement that no "disinterested" commentator could have done half as well. It pertains to the 2020 election, and has come along just in time to make a difference. After that, it will stand as a history lesson we will never not need. (Seen at a sneak preview with the director and her dad, Michael Meeropol in attendance. They are inspiring people! )