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| Ruby
Year: 1992
Classification: Drama
Directed:
- John Mackenzie
Actors/Actresses:
- Sherilyn Fenn
- Danny Aiello
I am curious Rubenstein
since one-half of my lineage is undoubtedly related to Jack, I am curious about all things Rubenstein, and this just came on The Box so I'm cking it out...but I have a beef...why does Hollywood persist in casting non-Jewish actors as Jewish characters, esp. Danny Aiello (in this and at least one other, which title I dis-remember, it's about Jewish widows in Pittsburgh(?)) are there NO jewish actors available to do this schlock and who can bring to the role, at the very least, an authentic rendering of "schmuck" and "schlmiel"? Aw schucks, this whole thing schux! Aiello is just not believable when he says he says "I'm Jewish", zei gesundt, mit latkes, Shalom, Alex
muddled but fascinating
There are spoilers in this review, but you should already know the historical details anyway.
"Ruby" isn't a good movie, but it *almost* was, and long stretches of the movie show us glimpses of the great movie it could have been. These portions of the movie are good enough to be worth owning the DVD for (especially if you enjoyed Oliver Stone's "JFK" for the look and feel of it rather than factual analysis).
The story takes what little is known about Ruby's shady life - that he was a burlesque club owner who had connections to organized crime and the CIA - and riffs on this entertainingly. However, the idea that Ruby's motive for shooting Oswald was "to expose the whole thing" makes absolutely no sense whatsoever, especially knowing that he made no great revelations about the conspiracy after he thrust himself into the public eye. How do you expose a conspiracy by silencing a key conspirator?
For some reason, the director chose to portray the mobster Santos Trafficante under the transparent guise of a character named Alicante. The fictional character of Candy Cane is rather pointless, especially since she seems to be a total fabrication and not based on any of Ruby's actual strippers. The infamous Jada is nowhere to be seen in the film, which is one of the biggest disappointments for me.
The look and feel of the film is great, though. It's an enjoyable immersion in gangsters, burlesque, spies, and politics, in late-50s-early-60s surroundings. Their period portrayal of Cuba is extremely well done, but rather than recreate Las Vegas, they simply pillaged stock footage from Elvis Presley's "Viva Las Vegas". This perfectly illustrates the film's uneven level of quality.
An addition to the intrigue
In "Ruby", veteran actor Danny Aiello does a superb job of portraying the man who will forever be remembered for silencing the accused assassin of President Kennedy.<BR> Aiello almost makes a better Jack Ruby than Jack Ruby himself.<BR>Aiello gives a memorable performance and gives valuable insight as to why Jack Ruby shot Lee Harvey Oswald. Hint: It wasnt why the Warren Commission said he did. There were much more conspiratorial and sinister reasons.<BR> This movie will certainly add to the intrigue of the JFK Assassination conspiracy.<BR>It paints Ruby as somewhat of a patsy himself, like Lee Oswald was.<BR> Sherilyn Fenn does a great job as "Candy Cane" one of Ruby's strippers.<BR> You really feel for Ruby and Cane at the end of this movie.<BR> This movie also has a very stunning scene of the JFK Assassination, and it was filmed in Dealey Plaza, where Kennedy was killed.<BR>If you are interested in the JFK assassination, the Mafia's vendetta against Castro, or the corruption of the Dallas Police at the time of the JFK murder, you will find this movie very interesting.<BR> I hope you enjoy it.
Buy Ruby at Amazon.com
Buy posters at Allposters.com
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