Movie review – “Bugsy Malone” (1976) ***1/2

Excellent fun which would remain one of Alan Parker’s and David Puttnam’s best film. Some excellent performances in the cast, including Scott Baio, Jodie Foster (who looks as though she could have played the role in a grown up’s film) and the bloke who plays Fat Sam; Blousy and Dandy Dan are less good (to be fair, Blousy isn’t much of a character). The structure for the story is very solid – some moments are genuinely scary (such as the elimination of Fat Sam’s men) and rousing (when Bugsy recruits men to fight against Dandy Dan). I love the finale where everyone becomes friends and then Blousy and Bugsy take off for Hollywood. I remember this was the film which educated me about the Depression – when Bugsy visits the soup kitchen I asked my mother what it was and she told me. There’s worse ways of learning about the world than the movies.