10 years in the life of Vegas...Embellished slightly.

Rating: Null/10 (10 October 2002)

It's amazing how some shows tend to glamorize my adopted hometown of Las Vegas...How everyone who lives here has tons of money and the best of all indulgences under a sunny sky and neon nights. Well, "Casino" gives everyone a good primer on what NOT to do if you are a local.
I particularly liked Rothstein's narrative on how everything is choreographed and coordinated to separate the happy tourists from their money. A little cynical, but otherwise very accurate and enlightening. Anyway, the movie is an entertaining look at the way life was out here, back in the 70's. A lot of the old-timers (some of whom knew the actual players on which "Casino" is based) tell me that they miss the good old days when the town was cleaner, less crowded and safer to live in. It gives a slight thrill to see the glamour and excitement, but never fails to remind us that there is a gritty and seamy side to the town. Then again, almost every American town has a "City Confidential" of its own. Even the real people that these characters are based on had a lot of just day-in, day out routine. Anyway...DeNiro did a great job portraying Sam "Ace" Rothstein, even though Frank "Lefty" Rosenthal was not a particularly exciting person in real life. Joe Pesci played a very convincing Nicky Santoro, but a little more over the top than what Tony "The Ant" Spilotro was supposed to be like. Sharon Stone was even more compelling in her role as Ginger McKenna, because she was very accurate in her portrayal of Geri Rosenthal, Frank's beautiful but troubled wife. The timeline is a jazzed-up and high-compression version of Vegas from '73 to '83, thanks to Scorsese's action-packed touch and all-star soundtrack. I thought it was a crowning touch that most of the filming was done at the Riviera, as it is one of the classic "old Vegas" joints and definitely was in the same league as the Dunes and the Sands once upon a time. All in all, a great movie that tells a great story...Just remember that you have to remember that for once, fiction is a little more entertaining than truth.