Mekeisha Madden Toby / Detroit News Television Critic
The name of Lifetime’s new made-for-TV movie is “Sex and Lies in Sin City: The Ted Binion Scandal,” but there’s only one problem. There is too much sex and sin and not enough city.
Sex and Lies in Sin City
Seriously, how can you have a movie based in Las Vegas and show very little of the lights and grit that make the city what it is? Not to mention the fact that Binion (Matthew Modine) is a casino-owning billionaire, and showing how and where he made his money would’ve been nice.
To be fair, the movie, which is based on a true story, is mostly about Binion’s possible murder/suicide case. That said, the man did have a life and a fast-paced, hard-partying reputation, and that is glossed over all too quickly.
Instead, “Sex and Lies in Sin City” focuses on Binion’s girlfriend, Sandy Murphy (a strut-happy Mena Suvari), a former stripper who was accused of killing Binion. A married Rick Tabish (Jonathan Schaech), Binion’s business partner and employee of sorts, is also accused of having an affair with Murphy and helping her kill Binion.
Marcia Gay Harden delivers the flick’s best performance as Binion’s bitter sister, Becky Binion. At every turn, Harden spews more vitriol than Cruella De Vil with a bad hair day. But Harden is never cartoonish with her cruelty, just frighteningly convincing. She’s positive that Sandy and Rick are guilty and is willing to do anything in her power to put the pair away.
Unfortunately, Modine’s portrayal is harder to believe. The actor, who is younger and far more attractive than the real-life Binion was, looks uncomfortable playing a pill-popping, heroine-smoking playboy in the movie’s flashbacks, and that, too, takes away what little glitz this movie has.
Filed under: Entertainment, News | Tagged: binion, lifetime, Matthew Modine, rick tabish, sandra murphy, sandy murphy, Sex and Lies in Sin City, ted binion murder
