Review of Casino (1995) by Johnathon W — 20 Aug 2017

Solid but by the numbers crime epic that isn't really bad but never reaches the heights of 'Goodfellas', the filmmaker's previous masterpiece. The cast is good across the board, with De Niro & Pesci able to play these characters in their sleep.

The standout, though, is Sharon Stone as Ace's troublesome wife, Ginger, who can't be satisfied even when she scores the jackpot. Behind the camera Scorcese crafts a nice crime epic that mostly tells how mob lost Las Vegas, but doesn't quite hit the point across.

Like the book by Nicolas Pileggi, it is by the numbers and only touches on how the mafia built & shaped Las Vegas, such has bringing in big name acts or modernizing sports betting. He also doesn't point out how the mob losing Vegas was inevitable, as gambling & prostitution being legal made it impossible for them to operate against legitimate businesses & corporations, though he does point out that once mob violence started growing, it accelerated the process.

Scorcese once again doesn't sugar coat the mafia, showing them for the brutal thugs that they were (what happens to the principle characters is downright sickening), and despite it's oppressive length of 3 hours, remains mostly enjoyable throughout.

Overall, a good crime film but in no way a great one.