Very similar to "GoodFellas" but is that such a bad thing?

Rating: 8/10 (10 August 2012)

Martin Scorsese's "Casino" found him treading very similar ground to his film of five years earlier, "GoodFellas". From script to actors to storyline to narrative devices, the two films share several common elements. While that makes for a somewhat unoriginal movie, there are certainly worse templates to go by than "GoodFellas".
The story is once again based on a book by Nicholas Pileggi. This time, we're treated to a fictionalized account of the rise and fall of Las Vegas casino boss Sam 'Ace' Rothstein (modelled after Frank 'Lefty' Rosenthal). Some liberties are taken with the facts but the movie is generally true to life. Like in "GoodFellas", voice-over narration is employed throughout the film.
Returning from the cast of "GoodFellas" were Robert De Niro & Joe Pesci. De Niro was more in the spotlight this time and delivered a characteristically excellent performance. Pesci's performance is also good but could certainly be seen as a rehashing of his previous, Oscar-winning role. Sharon Stone rounded out the stars and she delivered the best performance of her career; one that resulted in a Golden Globe win and an Oscar nomination. Besides these there are several other notables in supporting roles including Frank Vincent (another "GoodFellas" cast member), James Woods & Don Rickles, to mention just a few.
Visually, the film is exceptional. Robert Richardson's cinematography was worthy of an Oscar nomination and Scorsese's direction is great as always. Like "GoodFellas", Scorsese also made excellent use of music (mostly popular) throughout the entire film. The sets & costumes also show remarkable style and attention to detail.
In the end, "Casino" won't win any awards for originality but it's hard to fault the film when many of its strengths are shared with "GoodFellas". The movie might be a bit too long for it's own good but, other than that, I think it compares quite favourably with the vast majority of crime dramas.