Lancaster plays Lou, an aging man whose life consists of numbers-running and taking care of Grace (Kate Reid), a former beauty queen. They live during a time when Atlantic City makes the transition from illegal gambling and crime to legitimate casinos and tourist traps. Lou, however, has a soft spot for the old days, and fancies himself as someone with the potential to be a high-class gangster like that of Capone, or Bugsy Siegal. He may finally get his wish.
A man and a pregnant woman show up at the doorstep of Lou`s neighbour, played by Susan Sarandon. The man is, in fact, Sarandon`s husband, and the woman is her sister, who the husband decided to run away with. As well, the husband has stolen some cocaine meant for a drug lord, in hopes of making lots of cash. With Lou`s help, he attempts to sell the drugs. But the drug lord does eventually catch up with the husband, and kills him. It is at this point when the true story begins, as Lou finds himself with a lot of unsold cocaine, which nobody knows is in his poesession, which he can then sell and reap the financial benefits of crime for what perhaps is the first time of his life. And he is also able to get closer to Sarandon, a woman whom he voyeuristically watches frequently. Lou`s delusions of grandeur may finally come to fruition.
Despite the outlines of the plot, I wouldn`t call this a crime drama. What little action there is feels almost like an afterthought. The nature of this film leans much more toward a very subtle form of comedy. This is apparent when one studies the Lancaster performance. He plays Lou with absolute dignity and sincerity. Yet everything he says is nonsense. He gives the appearance of a wizened man, familiar with the ins and outs of old-fashioned underground crime, and in his conversations with both Sarandon and the husband, he even spins a few tales of being a great lover, of regretting the occasions in which he had to bump off a few people, and waxing nostalgic over the good old days in general - "You should have seen the Atlantic Ocean in those days." All these speeches simmer with very subtle humour. It soon becomes clear to us that in reality Lou is merely a gentle and silly old man, who has always stood in awe of the "great" criminals, and who now finally has the cash to make himself act like one too. Yet while other characters might merely play up Lou`s foolishness and turn this movie into straight-ahead comedy, Lancaster gives Lou a mystery, an irony. You can see the emotion, and the need in his eyes; he really does want to be the person who he attempts to model himself after, and you wonder why he feels that he must do this. He is a dreamer, growing more and more senile and pathetic, who stumbles upon the perfect situation where he can wear his facade of criminal greatness.
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