I had a chance to watch "Billy Bathgate" for the first time today (hard to believe it was made over 20 years ago). I am a big fan of gangster pics, especially period ones (Godfather One and Two, Public Enemies, The Untouchables, The Departed, etc.),and I was hoping/expecting this to be in the same vein as those films. However, I was underwhelmed by the film, though I am not sure why. The young lead actor just did not click for me in his role (I kept thinking 'Too bad Leonardo DiCaprio was too young to be in this movie.') I did not sense any chemistry between him and Nicole Kidman-- or between her and Dustin Hoffman, or between her and Bruce Willis. All these men willing to do so much for her sake, but there was nothing about her character that seemed very compelling to me. The whole thing just seemed very flat--nothing about the film caught my imagination. I just kept recasting all the roles in my mind, trying to figure out who might been better suited to play them. All in all, a disappointment for me.
Review of Billy Bathgate
