A great interview... The interview was so good, I can't wait to see the movie. thinkingblue
Kevin Spacey makes `Casino Jack' a winner
By Rob Lowman Staff Writer
Posted: 12/16/2010 09:44:20 PM PST
A film about a lobbyist may not sound entertaining, but with a
dynamic performance by Kevin Spacey and some freewheeling
direction by George Hickenlooper, "Casino Jack" is a
lot of fun.
If the name Jack Abramoff rings a bell, you might remember him as
the "super lobbyist," who along with his equally
unsavory buddies was convicted in 2006 of three federal felony
counts relating to defrauding American Indian tribes and the
corruption of public officials.
His relationship with former House speaker Tom DeLay led to the
congressman's downfall and that of other Washington figures
including two White House officials.
It's a complicated story, but Hickenlooper ("Factory
Girl") manages to get in enough of the facts while keeping
the story rolling. A lot of credit has to go to Spacey's
Abramoff, who was released from prison earlier this month. In the
actor's hands, the lobbyist comes off as a spectacularly weird
guy, which he may be anyway. Raised in Beverly Hills, he tried
his hand at being a Hollywood producer in the 1980s. His only
success was "Red Scorpion" (1988) with Dolph Lundgren.
Kind of an entertainer in his own right, Abramoff does
impressions (Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan) to amuse clients and
colleagues. A staunch Republican and supporter of Israel, by
1990s he was pals with DeLay and lobbying on K Street. Washington
is like Hollywood, only without the pretty faces, Abramoff tells
a crony.
Casino Jack http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/ci_16877568