Casino (B or 3/4 stars)
After viewing 'Casino', Martin Scorsese's 1995 tale of sex, drugs, gambling, mobsters & murder, you may never look at Las Vegas in the same way; presenting a fascinating, if exhausting perspective of what goes on behind-the-scenes in America's gambling Mecca. Put it this way: Vegas ain't all glitz, glamour & fun; it's more about $$ & greed. This is a quality movie that is revered by many, but it has its detractors and, I can understand why. The 1st 2 hours are bogged down a bit by constant rapid-fire voice-overs from Robert DeNiro & Joe Pesci. The 3rd hour {yes, it is 3 hours long} is, perhaps, best of all. But despite the competent level of film-making & stellar performances, I just wanted this tale of ugly characters & corruption to end, already.
This film opens with short sequence in 1983 before moving on to the crux of the story, which is related through copious flashbacks & those somewhat intrusive voice-overs which stunt character development. During the 3-hour run time, 'Casino' tells the story of 2 men's intermixed lives. Sam "Ace" Rothstein (DeNiro) was a real-life gambler who never seemed to lose. He researched his bets carefully, & almost never made a poor pick. His tendency to win gained him great popularity & favor with the mob. And to that, mob boss Remo Gaggi (Pasquale Cajan) would order Ace's childhood friend/former bodyguard/crazed mob enforcing sadist, Nicky Santoro (Pesci), to shadow & protect him. Now that Ace has moved to Las Vegas to manage the Tangiers Casino, Nicky follows.
And, while these 2 gravitate to opposite sides of the law, with Ace staying clean & Nicky taking-over the crime scene, their paths still cross, & their meetings become progressively inhospitable. Ace's fall from grace comes around when he falls in love with Ginger McKenna (Sharon Stone), a former hooker & expert hustler who charms men with ease. Although she reluctantly agrees to marry Ace, she continues an affair with her former pimp (James Woods), while spurring on Nicky's affections. Their marriage becomes volatile. Nicky gets banned from the casinos as a known criminal. And through the FBI wire-tapping phones, Sam gets caught in the fray; becoming a target of the investigation into the Vegas corruption circle. Drama ensues.
As I mentioned above, 'Casino' is a quality movie with many strong components ... and a Scorsese film, all the way. The 1970s Vegas sets & splashy costumes are superb. The soundtrack is fun. The dialogue is rich. The characters are dynamic. And themes of loyalty & betrayal are ever-present. Having said all of that, 'Casino' feels a bit derivative of Scorsese's hit from 5 years earlier, Goodfellas. The 'look at the mob' concept has been rehashed aplenty before and, this film simply lacks the freshness, storytelling ability, & propulsive je ne sais quoi energy of Goodfellas. There is a tediousness that sets in from time to time; and the run time definitely has something to do with that.
Joe Pesci essentially reprises his Goodfellas performance, but he is as electrifying, as always. DeNiro brings more subtlety to Ace; but that more contained, sympathetic portrayal is actually more riveting to watch than Pesci's. Scorsese always highlights his masterworks with strong female characters. And that's no different here with Sharon Stone, giving an eye-opening portrayal of Ginger; who marries a besotted Ace for his power, protection & $$. She would nab an Academy Award nomination, here; however, I thought she was more fascinating & dynamic in 1992's Basic Instinct, of which she did not receive a nomination. Supporting players include James Woods, Don Rickles {very good}, Alan King, Kevin Pollak, Steve Allen, Jane Meadows, Frankie Avalon, Jerry Vale, & Scorsese's own mother in a funny cameo as the no-nonsense mom of a small-time mobster.
'Casino' tells a searing morality tale about greedy, unpleasant characters who think they're invincible. Scorsese shows us an appallingly dark view of Vegas. Of course, I appreciate & enjoy the forcefulness that Scorsese brings to his movies. The tension is off-the-charts, the humor is robust, & the brutal kills are aplenty. But overall, this flashy, too-episodic film simply didn't rivet me in the same way that other Scorsese offerings have in the recent past.
This film opens with short sequence in 1983 before moving on to the crux of the story, which is related through copious flashbacks & those somewhat intrusive voice-overs which stunt character development. During the 3-hour run time, 'Casino' tells the story of 2 men's intermixed lives. Sam "Ace" Rothstein (DeNiro) was a real-life gambler who never seemed to lose. He researched his bets carefully, & almost never made a poor pick. His tendency to win gained him great popularity & favor with the mob. And to that, mob boss Remo Gaggi (Pasquale Cajan) would order Ace's childhood friend/former bodyguard/crazed mob enforcing sadist, Nicky Santoro (Pesci), to shadow & protect him. Now that Ace has moved to Las Vegas to manage the Tangiers Casino, Nicky follows.
And, while these 2 gravitate to opposite sides of the law, with Ace staying clean & Nicky taking-over the crime scene, their paths still cross, & their meetings become progressively inhospitable. Ace's fall from grace comes around when he falls in love with Ginger McKenna (Sharon Stone), a former hooker & expert hustler who charms men with ease. Although she reluctantly agrees to marry Ace, she continues an affair with her former pimp (James Woods), while spurring on Nicky's affections. Their marriage becomes volatile. Nicky gets banned from the casinos as a known criminal. And through the FBI wire-tapping phones, Sam gets caught in the fray; becoming a target of the investigation into the Vegas corruption circle. Drama ensues.
As I mentioned above, 'Casino' is a quality movie with many strong components ... and a Scorsese film, all the way. The 1970s Vegas sets & splashy costumes are superb. The soundtrack is fun. The dialogue is rich. The characters are dynamic. And themes of loyalty & betrayal are ever-present. Having said all of that, 'Casino' feels a bit derivative of Scorsese's hit from 5 years earlier, Goodfellas. The 'look at the mob' concept has been rehashed aplenty before and, this film simply lacks the freshness, storytelling ability, & propulsive je ne sais quoi energy of Goodfellas. There is a tediousness that sets in from time to time; and the run time definitely has something to do with that.
Joe Pesci essentially reprises his Goodfellas performance, but he is as electrifying, as always. DeNiro brings more subtlety to Ace; but that more contained, sympathetic portrayal is actually more riveting to watch than Pesci's. Scorsese always highlights his masterworks with strong female characters. And that's no different here with Sharon Stone, giving an eye-opening portrayal of Ginger; who marries a besotted Ace for his power, protection & $$. She would nab an Academy Award nomination, here; however, I thought she was more fascinating & dynamic in 1992's Basic Instinct, of which she did not receive a nomination. Supporting players include James Woods, Don Rickles {very good}, Alan King, Kevin Pollak, Steve Allen, Jane Meadows, Frankie Avalon, Jerry Vale, & Scorsese's own mother in a funny cameo as the no-nonsense mom of a small-time mobster.
'Casino' tells a searing morality tale about greedy, unpleasant characters who think they're invincible. Scorsese shows us an appallingly dark view of Vegas. Of course, I appreciate & enjoy the forcefulness that Scorsese brings to his movies. The tension is off-the-charts, the humor is robust, & the brutal kills are aplenty. But overall, this flashy, too-episodic film simply didn't rivet me in the same way that other Scorsese offerings have in the recent past.