a stunning epic

Rating: 10/10 (21 May 2005)

It usually takes a decade or more for people to wise up to to a Scorsese film, and notice how brilliant it really is...just witness all the sneering comments being made about Gangs and Aviator. When Casino came out, its only high profile defender was Ebert. Most of the other critics, and not just the usual suspects( such as a certain hack whose initials are M.M).thought it was just an knock off of Goodfellas. This is , to put it bluntly, absurd. This film is one of the three or four greatest organized crime epics.The texture, the rhythm, the pace, the color, and the horror of Las Vegas are captured with bold brush strokes.The costumes, the music, the editing, the cinematography..all are brilliant. I will comment on the acting... Robert De Niro portrays someone hes never portrayed before in a Scorsese film..a cool headed, calculating near genius.His Achilles heel is his pride in his intelligence. He cannot imagine that he can make a mistake, and it leads to his fall. Joe Pesci offers a better performance than in Goodfelllas, because his character has more screen time and is far more complex. Yes..he is a violent, destructive man. He also imagines himself to be extremely loyal, a good family man, etc. Note how reluctant he is to torture the guy using the vise..its just that he knows that if he doesn't, HIS head will be in the vise.Note the weird grace notes , like combing the hair of the woman he shoots. Finally, Sharon Stone.This is a woman who who is pitifully weak and confused, for all her outward bravado. James Woods (a stunning portrayal) plays her like a Stradivarius.). The last shot of Ms. Stone in the movie(I will not give it away)is terrifying-and pitiful. every performance in this movie,from the biggest star turn to the smallest cameo,is dazzling..the use of Stardust at the end is brilliant. This is a fabulous film, which will-eventually be seen as a great one.