Bugsy Malone
UK (1976): Comedy/Crime/Family/Musical
Remember that scene in Jerry Maguire (1996) where the title character suddenly realizes the foolhardiness of his impulsively written manifesto? That's how director Alan Parker ought to feel every day of his life since making this dopey musical featuring an all-kid cast playing Prohibition-era gangsters and molls. What was Parker thinking? The cuteness of the concept never did hold up for more than 10 minutes, but the film extends it impossibly into a feature. Jodie Foster is on hand, lip-synching a Paul Williams song (Williams wrote the score), but even she can't detract from Parker's silliness. It's a toss-up as to whether children will enjoy watching it, since the characters and the milieu are based on adult situations. (Goodtimes, Paramount, Rank, RSO / Carlton Int'l) (Tom Keogh, Amazon.com)
1 nomination |