The last of an era

Rating: 8/10 (14 May 2011)

To watch 'Casino' today is to be reminded of a time when Martin Scorcese made good films starring Robert de Niro instead of bad ones featuring Leonardo di Caprio. Casiso is a rollicking, rock and roll ride through the world of Las Vegas, brilliantly set against the sounds and colours of two decades. The effortless way Scorcese pulls this off (he uses a 1930s-style font for captions, and at times the strip appears as if drawn in pastels) is perhaps his last great cinematic achievement. But it's not quite a great film, too long for its length, too similar to his earlier 'Goodfellas', and, for all its horrific violence, just a little too smooth. The audience of 'Raging Bull' was allowed to feel what it was like to be Jake La Motta, at least as Scorcese imagined it. The audience of 'Casino' is merely told, the double-headed voice-over steering us through a story we are shown, but never allowed wholly inside of. Still, the abruptly unsentimental ending reminds us of the ruthless that all great directors must possess; and sadly, it's not a edge Scorcese seems to possess any more.