I love the seamless way that Coppola mixes a gangster film and a jazz film into one, without any of the tired, corny clichés that you find in a lot of the latter day musical (until the final sequence, when it totally catches you off balance). Its also very effective in using historical figures and events as a backdrop to a fictional story. Incredible cast, Nicholas Cage is at his best in an early role, Bob Hoskins and Fred Gwynn are brilliant and Richard Gere is actually acting, instead of being Richard Gere. And a very young Diane Lane is his love interest. The period recreation is pitch-perfect, with Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway, Charlie Chapin and Louis Armstrong showing up. The piece where they inter-splice Gregory Hines's solo tap dance with the hit on Dutch Schultz is one of the finest moments that Coppola has ever filmed.