Everybody comes to Rick's.

Rating: 9/10 (18 August 2015)

This is one of the greatest films of all time. There will be spoilers ahead:
I doubt that there's anything I can add about this film which hasn't been said before (and likely said better than I'll say it) but I'm going to throw mt two cents in the pot in any case.
There are many ways to comment on a film. One can discuss the storyline, summarize the plot, talk about the filming techniques/technical aspects or just say what you love about the film. It becomes both harder and easier when you're discussing one of the most widely seen films of all time.
You can watch the film and notice the clichés, but then you should remind yourself that most of those clichés are clichés because of this film. I choose to discuss some of the supporting cast in this review, because Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid, Sidney Greenstreet and Claude Rains have undoubtedly been justifiably praised to the skies enough already.
This film is peppered with supporting characters, some of whom have notably sized roles, like Peter Lorre as Ugarte, S.Z. Sakall as Carl, Leonid Kinsky as Sascha (the last two providing much of what comic relief there is in the film) John Qualen as Berger, Marcel Dalio as Emil and Conrad Veidt as Major Strasser, the serious heavy of the film.
Then there are bit characters-there's a pickpocket early in the film, there's Rick's girlfriend Yvonne (almost the only other female role of consequence in the film) and two married couples, an older couple who have a nice scene with Carl which is hilarious and a young couple, who are Bulgarians basically trapped in Casablanca without an exit visa. Their vignette permits the audience to see Rick's softer side and offers a nice bit of character development.
All of the characters here have their moments and the only performance which just misses the mark is Sakall's as Carl. For me, the scenery-chewing Sakall does here is just a bit too much to completely work for me. Even then, he still does a serviceable job.
Last, but by no means least, there's Sam, played by Dooley Wilson. Sam more properly belongs in the significant players with Bogart, Bergman and the rest, as he's probably been highly and frequently praised, as he should be. But I just had to say a few words about Wilson's performance as Sam. It's extraordinary. Most of Wilson's scenes are with Bogart and the two work together marvelously. The musical numbers Wilson performs are highlights of the film, particularly "Knock On Wood" and "As Time Goes By". Wilson's supporting performance makes the film stronger.
This film is available on DVD/Blu-Ray and is well worth watching. Most recommended.