Casino (1995)

Plenty to Like, Plenty to Dislike

Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

Martin Scorsese certainly has shown an interest in crime stories. He explores the gritty details of the worlds and the players involved in the games. This particular story focuses on a particular gaming world-the one found in the gambling mecca of the United States, Vegas. Appropriately, the movie is called 'Casino.' Throughout its three-hour runtime, it unpacks a great deal. The first 45 minutes or so lay the foundation. We're exposed to thorough details of how the gaming world in Vegas operates and what it takes to succeed in the business. It's fascinating. For a while. My philosophy is if a movie is three hours long, it better have great reasons for being three hours long. This one felt like it could have been trimmed in a few places, but that didn't happen. Scorsese likes to make long films, so we're left with this monstrously long creation. He takes his time, cuing up one Rolling Stones song after another, letting events play out at a leisurely pace. It's all interesting and well-crafted (because its Scorsese), but it takes nearly two full hours before the pivotal conflict arises. Before then, the characters' lives are bit too peachy, too easy. Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci play childhood friends who take different business avenues in life, each finding success and power that they find appealing. De Niro wants to play it straight and run a legitimate casino, and he should-he's great at it. Pesci seeks the illegal angle, becoming one of the most infamous mobsters in the world of Vegas. As I said, their lives run smoothly (for the most part) for too much of the story. Everything goes downhill when Pesci steps on one of the wrong gangster's toes, De Niro deals with legal issues over a gambling license, and the biggest doozy of all-De Niro's wife loses her mind. In a force of nature performance from Sharon Stone, De Niro's screen wife Ginger becomes the most compelling and despicable character over the film's final hour-this is when Stone really starts to go for it. No spoilers here, so I'll just say that her reputation as one of the worst movie wives of all time is well-deserved. As circumstances spiral out of control, Scorsese blasts a couple more Rolling Stones songs and opens up his bag of mesmerizing camera tricks. His catalog of film techniques can fill an entire book shelf on its own. His application choices don't always appear to make sense, but they certainly catch the eye, which may be the primary intention. I'm a big fan of Marty's work, so I'll see anything he has made. While this isn't his best, it's still an entertaining and worthwhile film.

Casino is Martin Scorsese out and out. Even if you showed me this film randomly I can look at the traits and say this is a Scorsese movie. The setting is hedonistic Las Vegas and the story is about some friends who decide to setup their empire on the sands. The underlying themes of greed, power, corruption are all evident here and of course the actors shine- Robert De Niro, Sharon Stone, Joe Pesci, James Woods and about a dozen more have seldom been this good. The gorgeous shots of the casinos with Scorsese's stylist approach are amazing. Go watch Casino- It is one of the best films of the 90s.

Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, Sharon Stone. Now there's a group of people with which to make a movie. Casino takes place in Las Vegas in the 70s. Sam "Ace" Rothstein (De Niro) is sent to Vegas by the mob to run a casino for them. After a while they also send Nicky Santoro (Pesci) to keep the wheels running and to act as muscle for Rothstein. Unfortunately, these two have very different ideas on how things should be run. Ace would like nothing more than to run his casino, pay his "honest" dues to the mob and to just sit back and relax. Whereas Nicky wants to climb all the way to the top, no matter how many bodies he has to leave on his wake.This movie is often compared to Goodfellas, Scorsese's previous masterpiece. And I can definitely see why. We have the mob, gangsters a plenty, rags to riches themes, and even two of the same actors, although Pesci is deservedly in a much bigger role this time around.And yet Goodfellas it ain't. It's plenty good on its own merits, but it lacks that degree of identifiability a proper old time gangster film has. The 70s and Las Vegas muddle up the story, make it seem that much dirtier. Drugs flow freely, no one can be trusted and none of the main characters is at all likable. Which is most definitely the point, but it is also the reason why I prefer Goodfellas. A much better comparison mood-wise would be Scarface, although that takes an even harsher stance on the viability of the gangster lifestyle. Whereas this movie is kind of half-n-half.Still, a good movie by any measure. Well worth a watch for all fans of the gangster genre.

Casino is often seen as Goodfellas in Vegas - But nothing could be further from the truth. This gem brings you into another world and leaves you thinking about it thereafter, which few films are capable of to this degree. There is not an unforgettable moment in this masterpiece. Casino is testament to Scorsese's ability to tell a story better than anyone in an era of accomplished directors. Everything from the acting to the camera work and sound mixing is top notch. If I had 3 wishes one of them would be spent on having my mind erased so I could enjoy this captivating film for the first time again. In terms of replay value, Casino outranks even Goodfellas due to its complexity and stylistic nature - A film that gets better with each viewing like red wine with time- only this film will never turn to vinegar as it is a timeless work of art that will captivate generations to come.