Steve Buscemi should be getting more starring roles. Not only is he a great actor, when given the proper role he can display a great sense of vulnerability that makes him easily relatable even in the most ridiculous situations. Want to see a prime example of this… then go rent 2001’s Ghost World, because Saint John of Las Vegas is an interesting idea that is executed with very little success
Heavily inspired by Dante Alighieri’s Inferno, Saint John of Las Vegas chronicles the subtle, life-changing journey of John Alighieri (Buscemi), a gambling addict trying to recover while stuck in a dull desk job at an insurance company in Albuquerque, New Mexico. When John’s boss, Mr. Townsend (Peter Dinklage), assigns him to return to Vegas to investigate an insurance claim filed by a stripper, who goes by the moniker “Tasty D Lite” (Emmanuelle Chriqui), with fraud investigator Virgil (Romany Malco). While in Vegas, John is forced to fight his temptation to return to his old gambling habits.