Play the movie, Mr Scorsese

Rating: 8/10 (6 May 2014)

Scorsese's brother film to Goodfellas, is a longer engrossing film with a few similarities. Deniro and Pesci, reteamed again, share the narration. Here's another true mafia related tale, about the corrupt vices behind a casino, where it's new boss, Sam Rothstein, (a more gentler soul to Deniro's semi frightening Jimmy Gent in Goodfellas) has a close call with death, via a car explosion, where too the Ace as he was known, survives many interrogations, and some terrifying moments of paranoia, not knowing if he was going to be the next body dropped in the desert. We see him take continual hounding by the FBI, but the Ace always managed to beat him. Of course, Deniro's faultless, his mate, mafia cowboy Nicky Santoro, (Joe Pesci, solid) bares some similarities to the incredibly frightening Tommy in Goodfellas, though I know who I'd pick, if I having to choose a room alone. Stone is at her shining moment, playing the junkie pro Ginger, who became Mrs Sam Rothstein, despite having to a constantly cling on to a scuzzy low life pimp, Lester, (Woods in one of his best performances) who maintained this sort of hold on her. Again there are violent moments that shock, one as excessively illustrated by the big boys upstairs, to players who rig games, another one involving insult, plus Pesci's foul mouthed antics, and womanizing, even doing Stone. Even more enjoyable than Goodfellas, it's running time had me worried, stretched out to nearly three hours. Casino, sort of has an excess feel to it, judging by some themes, that have us questioning if they were true, but again it's just another engrossing Scorsese hit. I dare him to make one that it isn't. A great night at home.