How the West was lost

Rating: 9/10 (6 December 2009)

It really annoys me that this great film can never get it's own identity in the popular mind. Too many simplistic comparisons to "Goodfellas", probably made by boneheads who think imitating Joe Pesci's, "How am I funny?" line is amusing, when the only person who should ever say that again is Mr. Pesci himself. "Casino" is a very different film in it's gut than it's country cousin from the East coast. And it's also based on another awesome book by Nicholas Pileggi.
Martin Scorsese lights another bunch of movie dynamite with this shotgun blast to the face of a flick. My minor issue is with who's playing Sam "Ace" Rothstein (based on Frank "Lefty" Rosenthal). Don't get me wrong, I think Robert De Niro is fabulous in the part. But if I were casting this, I would have selected Gary Sinise for the role. Anyway, De Niro is at the top of his game again, this odds making genius a drastic departure from his Jimmy in "Goodfellas", who was a homicidal thief and nowhere near as brilliant as this figure who mastered the art of staying out of trouble, until his wife and best friend ruin it all.
Nicky, the thug Pesci plays here (based on Tony "the Ant" Spilotro), is different from Tommy, which earned him an Oscar (and Mr. P gave a short and sweet, "It's my privilege, thank you!" speech, letting us see not all prize winning performers have to spend an eternity on stage, thanking the whole world!). Tommy was ashamed his brother testified against certain people you don't rat on if you want to live in Brooklyn much longer. That inspired the spark plug of "Goodfellas" to be the craziest, most vicious killer of the whole bunch. His role in "Casino" is slightly more subtle and for much different reasons. Tommy never would sleep with his friend's wife, like the Vegas bound troublemaker from Chicago that he plays here does.
A very insidious kind of betrayal takes place with Ace's future wife, Ginger, Sharon Stone's relentless hustler. This woman lets us see the hollow shell her character really is. After taking all she can from anybody she can, this creature runs off to her scumbag pimp Lester, played by the great James Woods, giving him her money and love, not realizing or being lucid enough to care he's the ultimate parasite. Sam can brush off Lester easily. His protector from the windy city who comes to the desert and screws up what should have been their paradise is another matter.
Pesci shows this wise guy Nicky is his own worst enemy and everything he touches turns to hell. Tommy would have kept a modicum of common sense and loyalty to his buddy, not wanting all that money, power and success to blow away like so much dust in the Nevada wind.