Review of Casino (1995) by Brock B — 27 Jun 2011

Very similar in structure to GoodFellas, Casino remains an excellent work. The similarities are evident: Robert DeNiro playing a leading role supported by Joe Pesci, a true organized crime story written by Nicholas Pileggi, and a detailed soundtrack which brings the film to life.

Brutal violence illustrates how seriously casino boss Sam âAceâ? Rothstein and his backers from the Chicago Outfit take the business of running the Tangiers Hotel and Casino in the 1970s. Although Rothstein seemed to have it all: wealth, power, a beautiful wife, and the support of his friends, he throws it all away because he cannot stick to his principles. Gradually, as the city of Las Vegas transforms itself into a tourist destination, the old way of doing things falls by the wayside. Everyone becomes a little greedier and the scheme collapses into bloodshed, similar to what happens in GoodFellas.

DeNiro really makes Rothstein come alive, permitting the audience to see his perspective and how it becomes corrupted. Scorsese was always able to coax superb performances out of the actor. The supporting cast has worked together before and delivers again. It may be less significant because it had been done before in 1990 (Casino also broke GoodFellas record for profanity on film) but it is still worth a trip to the cinema.