it would have been a lesser film without Stone.

Rating: 9/10 (8 June 2019)

From the mesmerising Saul Bass opening credit sequence, being an abstract mosaic created from inter-cut close-ups of Vegas neon, to the re-run of the exploding car, this is one brash and beautiful beast all the way. Of course, longer than it really should be, with maybe too many shots of the counting room and cash being channelled noisily, but then everything here is appropriately excessive, not least the violence. The language is confrontational, the lighting and colour shrill but the seamless editing draws us along, in what is essentially a rather slim story, eager to indulge further in the gluttony on display and arrogant swagger, shamelessly celebrated. I'm not a great fan of De Niro but he does well here, his rather flat delivery providing excellent contrast to the performance of a lifetime from Sharon Stone. Despite the amazing skills of Scorsese in bringing off this amazing cinematic epic with such pizzazz, it would have been a lesser film without Stone. Much criticised, she is undeniably an actress who with the right incentive can, seemingly effortlessly, lift a movie way out of the norm. If not more important than Taxi Driver, this probably is the better film due to the exuberance and sheer love of cinematic movement on display, oh and awareness of the importance of a superlative soundtrack.