The greatest film ever ...

Rating: Null/10 (4 June 2001)

I am a modern movie buff (meaning my movie history starts with films like Scarface and Ferris Bueller's Day Off, not Casablanca or From Here to Eternity). I have seen close to 500 movies in my day - everything from DC Cab to Fast Break to A Bronx Tale - and Casino is without a shadow of a doubt the best I have ever watched. DeNiro is sublime, Stone gives the best performance of her career, and Pesci is at his obnoxious, menacing best. The costumes, the score, the dialogue. My brother and I can have whole conversations with each other talking only in quotes from the flick: ("Mr. Clark I don't think you understand what it is I do. ... About the time I'm coming out of jail, hopefully, you'll be coming out of your coma. And I'll bust your head wide open again. Cause I'm f***in' stupid.") There was a time when I thought nothing could touch The Godfather II as the ultimate mob drama with a real plot and authentic characters who make you care. Then I saw Casino during my sophomore year in college, and, for me, nothing has come close cinematically. If you loved the gore of The Untouchables, then this is for you. If you loved the tragedy of Carlito's Way, then Casino is for you. If you loved the authenbticity of Donnie Brasco then this flick is for. Hell, if you loved the warped, anal retentive Melvin Udall in As Good As It Gets, then Sam Rothstein will blow you away. Whatever you want in a movie, you got it here - with the notable exception of minority actors, save a few Japanese "whales" inserted only for storytelling purposes. I challenge any true movie critic to name three movies with more depth, a better plot, a better narrarator, better actors than this epic. After 50 plus viewings I'm still searching.