Movie Review: Sex & Lies in Sin City: The Ted Binion Scandal

Movie Review: Sex & Lies in Sin City: The Ted Binion Scandal
by Chad Holloway of Predictem.com

In 2008, the Lifetime Movie Network aired the made-for-television movie, Sex & Lies in Sin City: The Ted Binion Scandal. The film chronicles the murder of Binion's Horseshoe Casino owner, Ted Binion, and the subsequent trial of Sandy Murphy and Rick Tabish. The film was written by Teena Booth and was based on the book, Murder in Sin City, by Jeff German. As for the director, Helen Verno, executive vice president, movies and miniseries, Sony Pictures Television, exclaimed: "We are thrilled to be working with director Peter Medak on this fascinating true story of sex, drugs and an untimely death all with exciting Las Vegas as our backdrop,"

Sex & Lies in Sin City: The Ted Binion Scandal tells the story of Ted Binion, who was found dead in his Las Vegas home in September, 1998. Officials first believed Binion died of a self-induced drug overdose but began to question the series of events when Binion's sister, Becky Binion, told police she believed her brother was murdered and it was revealed that Murphy, who was Binion's lover but had been removed from Binion's will just 24 hours prior to his death, was cheating on him. To add to the suspicion, Murphy's other lover, Rick Tabish, was caught digging up millions worth of hidden silver bullion on Binion's ranch. Murphy and Tabish were eventually arrested and convicted for murder; however, on appeal they are acquitted of the crime (Murphy was set free on time served, which was four years, while Tabish was sent back to jail on other charges regarding the silver bullion). The scandal has become well-known due to the fact that many people believe Murphy and Tabish were clearly guilty of the crime (evidence of force and suffocation were found during Binion's autopsy). "Much like a trip to Vegas, this movie is a guilty pleasure," said Tanya Lopez, senior vice president, Original Movies, Lifetime Networks. "Ripped from the headlines, Sex & Lies in Sin City captures all of the true crime story elements and the madness that surrounded Ted Binion's life."

The film stars Mena Suvari as Sandy Murphy, Matthew Modine as Ted Binion and Johnathon Schaech as Rick Tabish. Their performances throughout the film are about what you'd expect from a television movie; that is, they tend to be rushed, unflattering, and at times just plain tacky. The bright spot of the movie is Marcia Gay Harden's performance as the resolute and cold-hearted Becky Binion, who spearheads the convictions of Murphy and Tabish. Harden is able to inject a little life into the film with her acting, which is intriguing and a pleasure to watch; however, her supporting role cannot carry the movie as a whole. Overall, the film does a decent job presenting the facts and story of Binion's death, but it lacks in both acting and production value (such as mediocre sets and stock footage). In the end, the movie will provide the viewer with a good synopsis of the Binion trial; however, for a fuller, in-depth look the film cannot provide the same detail and explanations as some of the literature written on the subject.

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