Great Movie!

Rating: 9/10 (21 August 2007)

Casino is a film about the mob empire that secretly ran Las Vegas in the 1970's and early 80's. Casino follow's Sam "Ace" Rothstein(Robert Deniro), a professional gambler who is given the task by the Mafia to run a casino in Las Vegas. His good old neighborhood friend, Nicky Santoro(Joe Pesci), is a wild, demonic gangster that is assigned to watch Ace's back. Ginger(Sharon Stone) is a hustler and ex-prostitute that Ace falls in love with. All three main characters have flaws. Some have minor flaws while others have major flaws. Each character's flaw leads them to their own demise. Casino is a film about money, power, and greed. This gripping tale show's how something good can go straight to hell.
The characters are well developed. Ace is a cool character. He is a pretty smart guy and is a perfectionist. He is the best at what he does and he knows it. And what he does is illegal, but he does it in a clean way. But Nicky on the other hand is not a clean guy. His business is roughing people up and stealing. He is the muscle of the Mafia in Vegas and his job is to make sure know one messes with Ace and that know one messes up the money making scheme. Both Ace and Nicky are street guys who have been given the chance to do something big with their lives. When they each moved to Vegas they both had their own small goals and then one main goal that they both shared and that was making money for the Bosses back home. Then Ace meets Ginger. And everything gets turned upside down. Ginger is a hustler with a rough past, but Ace is drawn to her. Her beauty and style mesmerizes Ace. There is something about her that makes Ace go wild. Ace falls for Ginger and they get married. But even before they get married the viewer sees some instability in Ginger. And when she finally is married all of her instability is put on display. Half of her instability comes from her continued relationship with her ex-pimp, Lester Diamond(James Woods). Lester is a true sleezeball. Lester continually uses Ginger for money. His actions and even the way he dresses completely sells him as a sleezeball. These four great characters intertwine through the film creating great drama.
Ace is the main protagonist. Ace has to push to get his gaming license in order to run his casino. Nicky creates a bad rap for Ace and the casino because of all his suspicions in crime. Nicky eventually ends up starting his own gang and begins robbing the locals of Las Vegas. Meanwhile Ace has a troubled marriage with Ginger. Ginger becomes more and more unstable. Ginger becomes an alcoholic and eventually a drug addict. She cheats on Ace with Lester and eventually with Nicky. Ace suspects that this is going. But he cannot stop loving Ginger. No matter how crazy she becomes he always gives in. Ace thought he could change Ginger by marrying her but all she wanted was his money. Ace himself becomes absorbed with the casino and his power. And Nicky is overwhelmed by greed. Nicky's goal is to take over the thrown in Vegas. In the end the Mob empire in Las Vegas collapses as do the lives of Ace, Ginger, and Nicky.
There is one criticism I have on this film. I would like to comment on the narration. The film is filled with narration. The first narrator is Ace and the other is Nicky. The first hour of the film is like a documentary of Las Vegas in the 1970's. There are brief pauses with actual dialog but they are only brief. The narration continues through the movie but lessens in the second half. But never goes away I might add. The narration did do a good job of filling in the gaps. Sort of like Goodfellas. I liked Ace's narration but I felt annoyed by Nicky's. I didn't think it was needed. Deniro's voice is smooth while Pesci's voice is kinda annoying. But who am I to criticize Martin Scorsese. If he wants two narrators then he can get two narrators.
ACTING
4. Joe Pesci plays the usual wacko gangster like in Goodfellas and he has it mastered. I have never met Joe Pesci and I'm sure he doesn't act like Nicky but he is so believable that you start to wonder if he acts like that in real life.
3. James Woods plays Lester so wonderfully. He is the definition for creepy and slimy. He does a great job of being a low-life looser.
2. Sharon Stone is the only woman who could play Ginger. I know a lot of people hate Sharon Stone and find her annoying, but in Casino you are supposed to hate her. And she does a good job of being the person you hate.
1. Robert Deniro was in my opinion the most impressive in the film. I think this is one of his best if not the best performance of his career. He plays Sam "Ace" Rothstein so well. I cannot say that I like Ace but he's pretty cool. Deniro is so smooth. Even when he gets angry he is smooth. Deniro's performance was the best.
OTHER ACTORS-- Don Rickels, Alan King, Kevin Pollack, and Frank Vincent also star in Casino and they do a great job with their more minor roles.
WARNING!!!!! Casino is a very dark, brutal film. Full of very Strong, graphic, and brutal violence. There is also very strong language that is said through out the whole three hours of film.
To finish I would like to say that Casino is a great film all around. With great acting, directing, and with a great story that is similar to a Shakespearean tragedy. Go watch it!!!