Little more than a gossipy trip down memory lane, Rob_Cohen's Rat Pack is elevated by its performers. Ray_Liotta, Joe_Mantegna, and Don_Cheadle do fine work as, respectively, Frank_Sinatra, Dean_Martin, and Sammy_Davis_Jr. Mantegna, who also did the singing for his character, gets at the truth that was far different from Martin's public image. Cheadle communicates real stress and pain in the life of the continually harassed Davis, while also capturing the ease and joy of the performer on stage. Liotta cannot hope to capture the particular qualities of Sinatra that made him a star, almost no actor could, but he does provide a solid center for the film. The material about JFK, RFK, Ava_Gardner, and Marilyn_Monroe all plays like little more than an expensive episode of Behind the Music, but when these men (along with Angus MacFadyen as Peter_Lawford and Bobby_Slayton as Joey_Bishop) are depicted together the film finds life. The cast should be applauded for capturing the rhythm of the performers they are portraying, even if they have not been given material worthy of those performances. Perry Seibert, Rovi

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