Jeanskynebu the audience applauded

SpuffyWeb Sadly Over-hyped

ReaderKenka Let's be realistic.

Smartorhypo Highly Overrated But Still Good

Sebastian1966 The Rat Pack chronicles the period from 1959 to 1963, when Frank and the Boys were king, baby! And before Las Vegas became Disneyland! I must say, 20 minutes into this movie, and it's very easy to get caught up in its tabloid sense of fun. Some of the performances stand out, while others lapse into caricature. Ray Liotta plays Frank Sinatra (a favorite crooner of mine) as a volatile, charismatic hot-head. And aside from the jarring fact that he looks NOTHING like Sinatra, it's an intense performance. Joe Mantegna is enigmatic as Dean Martin, at times inscrutable, at other times lapsing into sketch impression. Don Cheadle, as Sammy Davis Jr. walks the fine line much more nimbly than the others in the cast. His Sammy Davis is a three-dimensional character; full of pain, pathos and courage. Never lapsing into the Billy Crystal-variety, "you're beautiful, babe"-type of portrayal. Barbara Nivens as Marilyn Monroe is a bit overdone (a little bit drag-queenish), fitting in with the caricature-level of some of the other performances. William Peterson as JFK is somewhat better, but still wading in the shallow end of the performance pool. Angus MacFayden as Peter Lawford, is another standout. Like Cheadle, there is some nuance to his Peter Lawford. But the writing paints Lawford as a Sinatra punching bag/panty-waist; a comic relief, of sorts. One of the many saving graces of the film is that it wallows in its own sense of yellow journalism fun, never taking itself too seriously. I suppose if you wanted the facts, you could watch a Biography channel documentary (and they've done some great Rat Pack specials). This film, however, is made in the spirit of fun, glitz and sleaze, with a healthy dose of tribute thrown in (somewhat akin to, but not as silly as GREAT BALLS OF FIRE). PAT PACK shows you the reasons why this team so owned this unique period of history (on the cusp between the dull '50s and the swinging '60s). In the talent phase of the movie, Cheadle is (again) simply amazing; bringing Davis' multi-level abilities to vivid life. Throughout the film, though, it is Ray Liotta as Frank who holds the group together through sheer force of his (considerable) will. In one of the final scenes, depicting a furious Frank lashing out at Lawford for a post-election snub by Peter's new brother-in-law JFK, you see the full wrath of Sinatra (and it ain't pretty!). Afterward, you can almost feel the cold chill of Peter's subsequent banishment from the warm, crazy heat of the RAT PACK. Despite its manic energy, the movie (accurately or not; at this point, who cares?) invites you into the fold, and like Peter, you hate to leave.

Brian Washington This was a great film on a particular era in time. Not only was it a great film on the most famous clique of the late 1950's and early 1960's, it allowed us to see how not only things were at that particular time. It also allowed us to see how the two worlds of politics and entertainment came together to help get Kennedy into office. It also showed how Sinatra really was awed by Kennedy's personality and how that idolization lead him and the rest of the Pack as well as his buddies in the mob to backing. Also, the film paints a rather negative picture of Joe Kennedy who was very much against not only the mob being involved in his son's campaign. Also, the you pretty much see how the elder Kennedy pretty much snubbed Sammy Davis because of the color of his skin. The one negative criticism I have about the film is that they didn't bring up how the Pack first came together and how it was Humphrey Bogart, not Frank Sinatra, that pretty much was responsible for it. Other than that, this was a really great film.

sddavis63 I've given a lot of thought to this movie and, in all honesty, I can't think of anything in particular to critique about it. Revolving around the relationship between the famous "Rat Pack" of the 1960's (Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr., Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop) and focusing heavily on their relationship with the Kennedy's, this is a very entertaining, well-done film that provided a peek at the lives of the 1960's Hollywood jet-set. In addition to the Rat Pack and the Kennedy's we get glimpses of Marilyn Monroe (Barbara Niven) and Joe DiMaggio (John Diehl,) and a look at the involvement of organized crime.The performances are strong. Ray Liotta was a standout as Sinatra, but no less compelling were Joe Mantegna as Martin and Angus MacFadyen as Lawford. Bobby Slayton as Joey Bishop was less central to the story, but pulled off the character well. Only Don Cheadle (as Davis) seemed to not quite grasp his character, but he still managed a good performance. The intricacies of the relationship between the five (particularly between Sinatra and Lawford) are detailed and everything seems very natural. Is this really the way it was? I don't know. Only these five would know for sure, but the movie seemed plausible and was an entertaining evening - another success for HBO in my opinion.10/10. Really. I found it fascinating stuff.

gunsonfrench I missed this on HBO and was delighted to pick it up recently. With the possible exception of Ray Liotta, the physical casting was truly well done. Liotta plays Sinatra reminiscing towards the end of his life about his golden years, his old friends in the 'Rat Pack' and his aspirations to be loved universally by helping John F Kennedy into power.What made this stand out for me is not only the wonderful recreations of the legendary on stage horseplay the Rat Pack indulged in, but also some of the private agonies, particularly those of Sammy Davies Junior, in another superb performance by Don Cheadle, who is given his own solo spectacular scene in a face off against the Ku Klux Klan.The Kennedy and Lawford association is also covered in some depth, and the Sinatra character is well rounded - we feel for him much of the time, but his personality is far from sugar coated. As a film character, he is compelling, although Ray Liotta makes little attempt to emulate Sinatra in voice or mannerisms.Joe Mantegna IS Dean Martin physically, and this helps the authenticity of the piece, but he is sadly underwritten, Gone is the hell raiser and womaniser of legend. In his place is a laconic 'Fonz', smooth with the ladies, but sleeping alone.William Petersen nails Kennedy in spite of physical differences, and the scenes with him and Sinatra seem consistent with their characters. Angus McFadyen plays a nervous Lawford, caught between using his Kennedy connections to become part of the Rat Pack and keeping Frank out of the White House. Ava Gardner also makes a brief appearance in the form of Debra Kara Unger. Aside from the unusual casting of it's lead (Aidan Quinn would have been a much more realistic choice), my only real gripe is how suddenly it all ends, while you wait for a proper conclusion. This is a wonderful glimpse into the intertwined lives of some of the highest profile people on the planet.