Wise Guys², except not as good.

Rating: 7/10 (26 November 2013)

'Casino' feels somewhat like 'Wise guys' all over again, but grander and longer, and with extensive drama and bloodshed. Still, this one is also very much worth the while. I most prefer the parts where the actors (De Niro, Stone and Pesci in particular) interact in the more elaborate, dialogue-driven scenes. There's quite a few 'quick updates' (with voice-over) here and there to keep the story going, but I felt that, even though they may be necessary to understand the whole plot, there is just too much of that getting in the way of the story - or at least in the way of the dramatic build-up. I suppose it's not an easy story to tell. The idea of giving Pesci's character a voice-over as well, worked out pretty good, though, and quite a few shots were simply cinematic magic.
A fine film once again by Martin Scorses, all in all. A big 7 out of 10.