A gangster movie for the ages

Rating: 10/10 (22 April 2002)

"Goodfellas" or "Casino", "Casino" or "Goodfellas"... Which is the better film? This may never be decided. Both chronicle the lives of gangsters throughout their years, both good and bad, leading up to their eventual demises. "Casino" is an unforgettable tale of people caught up in the Las Vegas lifestyle. The overindulgence and excess of the town is explicitly portrayed in this movie. DeNiro plays a well-meaning odds-maker who is placed in charge of a casino, while Pesci acts in a perfect role as DeNiro's protective but jealous keeper. Sharon Stone turns in the role of a lifetime as the mentally-instable, paranoid, and jealous (ex-hooker) wife of Stone (DeNiro's character). The movie comes to a head in a frenetic battle between DeNiro and Stone, and the results are delicious. This movie, along with "The Godfather" and "Casino" must surely rank as the top three gangster movies of all time. Which one is first depends on one's own tastes. "Casino" certainly makes its case for number one.