From the New York Daily News:
Corkery/News
Kevin Spacey’s upcoming hilm, ‘Casino Jack,’ paints an unflattering picture of some real life politicians.
Filming just wrapped on “Casino Jack,” in whichKevin Spaceyplays jailed lobbyistJack Abramoff. Having gotten a peek atNorman Snider‘s deft script, we can tell you that some of its real-life characters have cause for concern.
The screenplay paintsGeorge W. BushandKarl Roveas much chummier with Abramoff than they’ve acknowledged. (“How you doing there, buff guy?” Bush asks the black-hatted con artist in oneOval Officescene.)
FormerHouse Majority Leader Tom DeLaycomes off worse. Cigar-smoking DeLay, played bySpencer Garrett, is seen golfing with Abramoff on that infamous junket toScotland. He also enjoys the Polynesian scenery on theMariana Islands, where Abramoff solicits his protection for American textile manufacturers, who, we see, are running sweatshops. Dining together at Abramoff’s D.C. restaurant, Abramoff tells DeLay: “Tom, you’ll never get a check in this restaurant.” Says DeLay: “Good. … You’re my dearest friend, Jack.”
Reached at theirTexashome, DeLay’s wife, Christine, who accompanied him to the Marianas, fumed: “TheJustice Departmentdidn’t find one e-mail that Tom and Jack exchanged! And yet they were supposed to be so close. They said Jack gave him cigars. He never did.”
Bob Ney, formerU.S.representative fromOhio, also takes his licks in a scene where Abramoff asks him to speak in the House on behalf of Abramoff’s client,SuncruzCasinos. When Ney asks for “a pass on this one,” Abramoff snaps,
“After the dollars I’ve funneled into you this year? I don’t think so.”
Ney, who served time for his role in the Abramoff influence-peddling scandal, quibbles that he didn’t go to Scotland on the same trip as DeLay and only endorsed the casino “in the Congressional Record.” But he admits he had “improper” dealings with Abramoff.
Mostly, he’s pleased to be portrayed byJeff Pustil. “I was afraid they’d pick some fat old guy,” laughs Ney.
The script ends with Abramoff in prison, writing a letter toBill Clinton, apparently
in the hope of winning the ex-President’s help in gaining early release.
Director George Hickenlooper, who had five jailhouse interviews with Abramoff (Spacey came to one), says the “charismatic charlatan” told him he did write to Clinton.
“Jack feels betrayed by Bush and the Republicans,” says Hickenlooper. “He knows their skeletons. He thinks that’s why Bush turned down the Justice recommendenation for a reduced sentence. He’s too dangerous to let out.”
Turtle Talk 