Pesci, De Niro, and Scorsese again?

Rating: 9/10 (9 October 2005)

It's like all the time when De Niro and Pesci work together, Martin Scorsese is the one who is always there. This time they work in what I think is the most detailed film of the mafia. Based on a true story.
De Niro stars as Sam 'Ace' Rothstein, a former gambler who has been given the job as head of the casino by the mafia back in New York. Sharon Stone is Ginger, a casino hustler who basically uses Sam for his money so she can give money to her poor low life friend named Lester Diamond (James Woods). Joe Pesci is Sam's right hand man Nicky Santoro, who basically did not want to help Sam operate but make money by cheating with Sam knowing. Sam did not mind but one day Nicky got caught cheating and he is not allowed into any of the casinos. After that he starts working with the mob and starts to become one of the heads. Sam later has scandals going on with publicity that now he cannot control the casino no more. Ever since then, he has now been having trouble with Ginger and Nicky.
Very heavy movie indeed. Sharon Stone has indeed done the best performance of her career. I would have given her the Oscar that year instead of Susan Sarandon's "Dead Man Walking". Pesci does in a way resemble his same Oscar winning character in "Goodfellas". Pesci is one of the biggest villains around in this movie. The violence, the swearing, and the drugs is a little too much in this one. That's its only problem. A very little bit less would give it the shot. I'd give it a 9.4/10.