"Running a casino is like robbing a bank with no cops around. For guys like me, Las Vegas washes away your sins. It's like a morality car wash." - Sam 'Ace' Rothstein

Rating: 9/10 (21 July 2005)

Unfortunately, many people have slanted view that 'Casino' is basically 'GoodFellas' with a different name. I can definitely see why people would feel that away, after all it's a mobster movie based on a true story, Joe Pesci plays a crazed mental midget, Robert DeNiro plays the sly and cool leading male and f-bombs are dropped almost every second. I don't criticize people that feel 'Casino' is a bit of a rip-off, but I believe it's not. My experience of viewing Martin Scorsese's brutal and bloody classic 'Casino' is that it's similar in a lot of ways to 'GoodFellas', but it's a different film. 'Casino' isn't so much about the ups and downs of organized crime, as it is about how Vegas really got started, and it just so happens it was started by a greedy, ruthless and scary syndicate -- the Italian mafia.
'Casino' follows the true tale of Jewish tough-guy, Sam 'Ace' Rothestein (Robert DeNiro). In the heart of the 1970s, Ace is approached about running the Tangiers Hotel & Casino casino floor, which is run by the mob. Ace is told by another Jewish mafia associate, Andy Stone (Alan King) that he doesn't won't even require a gaming commission license to run Tangiers, since the gaming commission is ten-years behind registrations. Everything seems to be set financially for Ace, as long as he allows the mob soldiers to skim a percentage of the casino's money for the bosses of the different crime families. Ace is being protected by his best friend and mob capo, Nicky Santoro (Joe Pesci) and his crew of misfits. Nicky is cruel, lascivious, greedy and has a very short temper that when tested causes him to act outrageously violent and demoniac. Things are going great between Ace and Nicky, then Ace meets the seemingly beautiful and kind, but actually selfish and rapacious Ginger (Sharon Stone). Ace falls for Ginger and the two eventually get married, but have severe marital problems involving Ginger's old flame, the sleazy and conniving Lester Diamond (James Woods) and Ginger's drug and alcohol abuse. When everything seems so perfect and mirthful for Ace, his world falls apart very rapidly before his eyes. His wife is crazy, he's loosing money, he's having problems in general with the Tangiers casino and his once solid but now rocky relationship with the malignant goon, Nicky. The film also stars Don Rickles, Frank Vincent, Dick Smothers, John Bloom, L.Q. Jones and Kevin Pollack as the owner of the Tangiers Hotel & Casino.
What 'Casino' really boils down to is being a tale of avarice and it's consequences. The film starts out very optimistic and satisfying for all the characters, but quickly and abruptly turns sour for everyone. It perfectly demonstrates how money and wealth consumes you and changes you; especially in the case of having Ace and Nicky be bosom buddies in the beginning but end up loathing each other so much that they considering whacking one another. 'Casino' may drag a tiny bit in it's two hour and fifty-nine minute runtime, but when it's all over it turns out to be an excellent film. Martin Scorsese does another incredible job behind the camera, while the actors are even more solid in this one then in 1990's similar mob movie 'GoodFellas'. Robert DeNiro should have earned an Oscar nomination for his perfect portrayal of Sam 'Ace' Rothstein the Jew with Italian-mob connections who always plays his cards right. Joe Pesci is great as to be expected as the barbaric and cutthroat gangster, Nicky, but no where near as excellent as he was as the heartless waste of human life he played so impeccably in 'GoodFellas'. But the show really belongs to Sharon Stone in an impressive and remarkable performance as the crazy but ultimately pathetic junkie trophy wife of Ace. I never really thought she was a good actress until 'Casino', and in the film she really proves herself. James Woods is ideally cast as the film's undeniably unlikable parasite and Don Rickles is very upstanding in his role. The film features Frank Vincent (who you may know as the creepy mob villain, Phil Leotardo in HBO's hit drama 'The Sopranos') as Nicky Santoro's right man. The film has a lively music score and Scorsese and Nicholas Pillegi deliver a fine screenplay.
If you haven't already, take three hours to sit down with a big ass bowl of popcorn and watch Scorsese's 'Casino', but only after you've seen 'GoodFellas'. You may not enjoy or appreciate it's brutal violence, crude language and overall staunch ferocity, but hey, odds are you may enjoy it if you give it a chance. Grade: A-
MADE MY TOP 300 LIST AT #115