THE "Gone With the Wind" of gambling flicks

Rating: Null/10 (17 April 2003)

Director Martin Scorsese, editor Thelma Schoonmaker and Oscar-winning actors Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci reunited for this three-hour epic tale of the rise, fall and resurrection of a casino proprietor. Set in Las Vegas from 1973 to 1983, "Casino" tells the story of Sam 'Ace' Rothstein (De Niro, in one of his most underdeveloped roles) who makes his mark as one of the most powerful men in Las Vegas. He has money, notoriety, connections, everything...except that special woman. Enter Ginger McKenna (Sharon Stone in a knockout performance that earned her a Best Actress Oscar nomination), a flashy, high-maintenance, money-driven cocaine hustler/prostitute who eventually becomes Mrs. Sam Rothstein. Nicky Santoro (Pesci) is Sam's hotheaded friend who become a major player on the gambling scene himself, until greed and distrust bring their glittery (albeit volatile) decadence to a monumental halt. With all of the film's star power and energy, it still just takes a long time to get where it's going (wherever that is). Whether it was Scorsese's handling of this particular material, or Nicholas Pileggi's inability to adapt his own novel to the screen, "Casino" is just a few notches short of achieving real meaning and depth. However, the film certainly deserved more nominations than it received (its only one being for Stone's characterization of Ginger): Pesci's explosive supporting role, Robert Richardson's vivid, colorful cinematography, John Dunn and Rita Ryack's costumes and Jack G. Taylor Jr. and Rick Simpson's Art Direction/Set Decoration all went unnoticed by the Academy. Artistically, "Casino" is a visually sumptuous masterpiece. Storywise, the movie fails to deliver in certain areas. An uneven mixture, but it IS a handsome production. *** out of ****.