If there’s a silver lining out there for lobbyist Jack Abramoff, currently wrapping up a four-year stint in federal prison for a bevy of corruption and fraud charges, it’s this: Unlike so many notorious incidents eventually exploited by movie producers, his fall from grace was deemed interesting enough to spawn not one, but two major motion pictures. Following Alex Gibney’s documentary Casino Jack and the United States of Money comes Bagman (it was originally called Casino Jack, but Gibney sued), the fictional account of Abramoff’s wheeling and dealing. So, does Jack actually deserve two movies? Our own David Edelstein had nice things to say about the first treatment, but this Bagman trailer isn’t too heartening: Despite the Stones on the soundtrack and serious actors like Kevin Spacey and Kelly Preston onboard, there’s something sneakily chintzy about it all. But, hey, Jon Lovitz!
[Via Playlist]