Casino

Starring: Robert De Niro, Sharon Stone, Joe Pesci, James Woods, Kevin Pollak, Don Rickles, Alan King, L.Q. Jones
Directed by: Martin Scorsese
Rating: R
Genre: Crime, Drama
1995

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Two friends (Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci) move from New York to Las Vegas to take over a casino. They rise to power, but find their climb marked by danger and betrayal.

Review:

Tim: Casino is one of the films on my "Embarrassed I Haven't Seen it" list, so I am glad to rectify that mistake. I really enjoyed Martin Scorsese's graphic tale of mobsters rising to fame and fortune in Las Vegas, however, I didn't love it. While this is a solid, entertaining, memorable film, it still falls short of Scorsese's best. We've come to expect more from him. I may be in the minority, but I thought this movie missed out on greatness.

There are a few potential flaws I see. First, I didn't really like any of the characters. Yes, I appreciate that they were flawed and realistic, but why was I supposed to care? Despite strong performances from the cast, the characters gave me no reason to get invested in the film. That might have worked for a shorter movie, but at just under 3 hours long, I needed more. I wanted to have a reason to invest so much time and energy.

The second main flaw is the middle to end of the movie, where it feels mostly like that hour plus is spent watching De Niro and Stone scream at each other. I like the interaction between the two and I thought it was a realistic, gritty look at the downfall of a marriage between two people who likely shouldn't have been married in the first place. However, I got tired of the back-and-forth, yelling and screaming and crying and threatening. I got the point, and yet, the movie beats the audience with it over and over and over. I wanted less time between these two fighting and more of something more interesting.

Casino does feature some superb performances. Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, and Sharon Stone are all fantastic in the film. Scorsese nailed the casting with each of these three. They all work well together and shine in their performances. I especially liked Pesci, who managed to steal a bit of the spotlight with his portrayal. I wish he has received an Academy Award nomination. The only cast member to do so was Sharon Stone, who certainly gives an emotional, frazzled, sometimes hard-to-watch performance. She put a lot into the role, so I suppose the nomination is warranted. I'm glad she didn't win, though.

The supporting cast is good. I liked seeing James Woods, although he didn't add a great deal ot the film. Kevin Pollak was another welcome face, but had a small role. Don Rickles was excellently cast. The sheer talent of the actors involved is stunning.

I love the real life story of mobsters who rose to fame and fortune in Las Vegas. While this film is "based on a true story," it is also a very fictionalized telling. I liked the gritty realism of an interesting time period in a place unique in the world. That is perhaps Casino's greatest legacy- that it tells a true life story about a wild, dangerous time in Vegas. Scorsese did a good job in that area.

However, despite its strengths, I feel like Casino is a tad bit overrated. Because it came from Scorsese and had a stellar cast, I believe this movie is viewed more favorably by many than it deserves. It received only one Academy Award nomination, and I think that's mostly fair. This is a good movie that is too long, unfocused, and occasionally annoying to be called great. I really liked it, but I also see its flaws.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: The Aviator, The Departed, Goodfellas