Scorsese needs to get back to this kind of film.

Rating: 9/10 (27 December 2005)

Casino was the last great film made by Martin Scorsese, who is certainly one of America's finest filmmakers. Despite the three hour running time, Scorsese tells us a powerful story filled with memorable characters. Although he seems to have moved on to big-budget extravaganzas like The Avator, and Gangs of New York, it's films like Casino and Goodfellas that properly showcase his incredible talent.
The plot centers around Robert DeNiro's character named Ace Rothstein who has been sent by the mafia back east to manage the Tangiers Casino in Vegas. Ace knows everything there is to know about gaming, and he makes the place rather profitable. A good chunk of change is sent back to the mafia bosses each month. Things seem to be going fine until two things happen. First, Ace falls in love with a shady woman (Sharon Stone) who hangs around the casino and extorts money from unsuspecting high rollers. She has a sleazy pimp-like character (James Woods) brooding over her who complicates things further. In addition to all that, the mafia bosses send some muscle (Joe Pesci) into town to presumably watch Ace's back. But this ends up backfiring as Pesci tears the town apart and draws every cop in the city's attention to the Tangiers. Things continually spiral downward for Ace and the gang until the typically violent climax wipes most people out. There are plenty of other details that you will have to experience for yourself.
The film introduces characters we care about, and the actors portraying them are exceptional. Stone, Pesci, and DeNiro are all terrific, and James Woods once again reminds us what a scene-stealer he can be. The film is very violent, but also funny at times. It uses many of the same production techniques that made Goodfellas such a wonderful experience. You also get a nice insider's view of how Vegas operated back before it became such a commercial city. The Vegas that Scorsese shows us is for adults, not families.
At three hours, the film is indeed too long. There is a little too much time spent on detailing what a bitch Sharon Stone's character is. After she started fooling around with Pesci, we got the point. Still, we are treated to too many arguments between her and DeNiro. I cannot help but think that if Casino had the two hour and twenty minute running time of Goodfellas, it wouldn't have lost a thing. You won't daydream all that much, but you will find yourself wondering when the next scene with Pesci is coming.
Casino was made on roughly a $50 million dollar budget. That's chicken feed compared to some of Scorsese's recent ventures. Though it didn't make that money back in theaters, it has since become profitable through the means of home-ownership. Most of the people I know seem to have the DVD in their collections, anyway.
It's time to put DiCapprio on the shelf, and start making some more like Casino, Mr. Scorsese! The Hound thinks Casino is worth 9 of 10 stars.