After movies - Casino

Rating: 7/10 (20 June 2007)

A Martin Scorsese's film, casting with his longtime partner Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci, like another "Goodfellas". This time the story is about Casino, but mobster is still an indispensable part of it.
The film began with a car bomb and then flashed back to how Sam carved out his way in the casino business, how he desperately kept the balance between business and his mobster background. At the same time, this film emphasized his unsuccessful relationship with his wife, Ginger. Which is quite unusual in a Scorsese film because most of his films female characters are just ornaments. But this time, Ginger (played by Sharon Stone) is indisputably the leading actress in Casino.
Violence is another important ingredient of this film, torture, beating, bombing and killing, all to bring forth the cruelty of the living world. If you're a typical Scorsese's fan, you will love it.
The accurate and realistic depiction of Casino business is also remarkable. The colorful world filled with gambling, cheating and hustling. But all gamblers are losers, the only winner is the casino itself. Business is business, making profit is the ultimate goal. When Sam had made great fortune by running the casino, he wanted to be a normal businessman and didn't want to be involved into mobsters anymore. But it was difficult to quit because he had already made the countless ties with them. When it concerns with benefits, it's not a thing one man can decide anymore.
Talking abut the actors, I have to admit that Sharon Stone is wonderful in this film, her only Oscar-nominated role by far. But there is something I must complain about, that is the role of Ginger, which is so stupidly written, she was just a mindless Blondie who only wanted to marry a rich man to enjoy a luxury life. We don't blame her for that, nevertheless how could she be so in love with James Wood's role is beyond redemption and totally unconvincing! Maybe the answer is either me or Martin Scorsese does not understand women at all. Robert de Niro and Joe Pesci's acting are some kind of continuing of their roles in "Goodfellas", good but far from excellent.
This film is not Scorsese's best work and Sharon Stone shines in her bitter and badly-written role.