"For guys like us, Las Vegas washes away our sins. It's like a morality car wash"

Rating: 10/10 (16 February 2008)

Perhaps proving the theory of cinema bringing to life the dark desires audience members dare not act out, the American film industry and audiences alike have always demonstrated a perverse fascination with the crime epic - films detailing the illustrious life of those prospering off a life of breaching conventional codes of ethics. Such is a theme that acclaimed director Martin Scorsese has returned to time and time again: demonstrating the pros and cons of a life lived on the other side of the law. And while Scorsese's mob classic Goodfellas charted the rise of a lowly hood through the ranks of the mob, Casino details the contrary: a life of luxury at the top of the mob, the consumption of man's soul by greed, betrayal and maddening violence, and the inevitable plummet which ensues.
Although comparisons to Goodfellas may prove inevitable, (given the similar subject matter, stylistic narrative and cinematic techniques, use of brutal violence and even the re-use of actors De Niro and Pesci) to fail to recognize the staggering accomplishment that is Casino, similarities or not, would be unforgivable. Ultimately the two are entirely different animals, as Casino, despite its glitzy exterior, demonstrates a distinctly darker storyline throughout, as its meticulously constructed, precariously balanced criminal organization begins to be torn apart from the foundations, with cataclysmic outcomes. The script, written by Nicholas Pileggi (working from his own source novel) and Scorsese himself is a fiercely memorable piece of work, punctuated with harshly realistic characters and scenarios, and a slew of maliciously well crafted lines. Although De Niro and Pesci's dual voiceovers can be slightly distracting, leading one to believe that the film might have benefited from the elimination of the Pesci voice-over all together, they do provide intriguing contrasting sides of the same story, and one can hardly fault the writers for experimenting.
The legendary Scorsese is operating at the top of his game here, bringing all of his trademark meticulous professionalism to play with devastatingly effective results. By moving his film along at a steady, blistering pace, yet still taking his time, allowing his characters to slowly unfold throughout and giving the audience plenty of time to drink in the seductive yet tainted luxury of the lifestyles of high profile casino officials, Scorsese uses his film's hefty duration to his advantage, immersing the audience within his story in a truly peerless fashion. With typically superb neo-noir style cinematography (with many lengthy sweeping shots, capturing the breadth of the casino in all of its hedonistic glory) and editing, and enormously well complimented by one of his patented soundtrack amalgamations, Scorsese's work similarly excels on a technical front, making for a supremely impressive piece of film-making.
As per usual, Scorsese extracts riveting intensity and realism from his cast, with captivating results. Robert De Niro inhabits the role of casino owner Sam 'Ace' Rothstein with a masterful conviction and charisma, dispelling all fears of him coasting by on such an admittably familiar role. Joe Pesci runs the risk of being forever typecast in a role only a shade away from his performance in Goodfellas, but fiercely proves his peerless status in inhabiting psychopathic loose-cannon mobsters. Sharon Stone delivers a surprisingly powerful performance as Rothstein's endlessly greedy drug-addict trophy wife, entirely believable as her character arcs from smoothly manipulative to dizzyingly cocaine-addled and truly pathetic. Don Rickles is a charming presence as Rothstein's right hand man in the casino, and Frank Vincent gives a strong performance as a suspicious fellow member of the mob. James Woods proves grotesquely memorable as Stone's past pimp boyfriend, and Woods shines in his few scenes, chewing the scenery with disconcerting aplomb. Kevin Pollack also impresses as a smooth talking "front man" for the more sinister undertones of the casino.
Brutally intense and endlessly fascinating, Scorsese's crime epic delivers a sufficiently flooring clout to easily merit distinction from Goodfellas' shadow. A masterclass of brilliant writing, blistering acting and disturbingly realistic thematic content, Casino proves another towering accomplishment from the incomparable Scorsese, one worth seeing by any in search of searingly powerful and impeccably crafted film-making.
-10/10