Patchy brilliance

Rating: 8/10 (21 December 2002)

Gratuitous comparison first: Casino is definitely in the same league as Goodfellas, and this is definitely one worth watching. It looks and sounds brilliant.
De Niro is superb in one of his last pre-'funny' roles, Pesci manages to add depth to his trademark psychotic role. The story is absorbing, and there are some compelling stretches - unfortunately these do not last. The major flaw for me is that the film is overlong for the story it tells. Sharon Stone's performance is good, but I couldn't help but feel the confrontation scenes between Ace and Ginger were too similar. I think a little cutting could have turned this very good 3 hour film into a superb 2 1/4 hour film.
The violence is very heavy-handed, possibly overdone, but doesn't detract from the characters. Good acting and some sublime visuals make this one worth your time. This is a solid Scorsese flick, which means it is very good indeed.
James