Review of Casino (1995) by Liam B — 19 Feb 2013

This is a great Mob film. In fact, if this was made by anyone but Scorsese it would be a classic. The problem is, it feels like a watered-down version of Goodfellas, it has the same basic template. Success peaks and it eventually deteriorates into constant anxiety and anger, resulting in the deaths of the majority of the main characters.

It's as if this film was a trial and essential to making Goodfellas, the plot doesn't quite pull you in, in the same way, and the sense of realism in both setting and plot doesn't have the same believability.

It seems like grandiose fiction, rather than actual mob life, much too glamorous. Basically, you feel like you aren't involved in the film.