Review of Casino (1995) by Rollingstone82 — 09 Jan 2011

Just looking at the trailer might seem enough to dismiss Casino as a companion piece to Goodfellas. Sure the argument has a basis. Pesci pretty much repeats his short-tempered mobster from Goodfellas. Both films have similar eclectic rock backgrounds (including heavy usage of Rolling Stones songs). Plus the f-bomb is dropped pretty frequently. Yet Casino still has some positive points to help it stand on its own. From the great writing to the beautiful cinematography, Casino isn't a slapped-together and hastily-made effort. It is a great film with a great story that starts off on a documentary-esque note but slowly reveals itself as the gritty crime drama Scorsese fans fervently crave. The cast is great too. Pesci (who really is the only one who can play short-tempered gangsters like Nicky Santoro) and Stone (surprisingly) shine in their roles. But it is De Niro that deserves the cake as Ace Rothstein as he gives an exceptional performance showing emotion while smoothly restricting it with inner power.

Of course, there are some scenes in Casino that feel overdone with language and/or violence to the point where the scene looks comedic. Plus there are scenes that kind of allude to Goodfellas (especially the Pesci beatdown scene) since actors from the former film are reused in Casino. And that kind of ruins some of the original magic that Casino holds, as it isn't a wholly new film. Nonetheless, the Scorsese-De Niro-Pesci trio rock well, regardless of the flaws.