Critics have issues

Rating: 10/10 (12 January 2006)

OK where do i begin, i'm flabbergasted! that Casino doesn't get the attention it deserves. Most critics will say ooo it's just a rehash of Mean Streets and Goodfellas. The film has similarities yes, he uses the same actors playing similar characters yes, but don't you think Scorsese realizes this, don't you think he casted them for this very reason! He not only uses the same actors, he uses the same songs on occasion, he even repeats shots, but in order to give the shot a different meaning. For me Casino is the third and probably final installment of his mob trilogy. With each film he climbs higher up the ranks! Mean Streets starts with local hoods, Goodfellas to the more organized gangsters and Casino to the very top of the chain. I think Casino is probably the finest out of the three, it is certainly the best to look at. The cinematography and use of sound in particular are almost unparalleled. He even uses music from Jean-Luc Godard's Le Mepris, which contrasts the two relationships that are falling apart. Do you really think Casino is just an overlong sequel, do you really think Scorsese would stoop that low. The editing alone is probably the best of his career. Critics are always afraid to pride new films over the classics (Taxi Driver, Raging Bull). Now they are great films don't get me wrong, but i believe Casino deserves to be up there with them, more so than Goodfellas. Some critics have gone on to the say the film fizzles out after the first act? What film were they watching, do they know nothing about narrative pacing. If the film were to continue the pace of the first act i think the majority of the audience would have heart attacks, if they don't anyway. Now get this, it's from the Rolling Stone review. OK, 'What trips up Casino is its straining toward art'. So what exactly do they think Scorsese should be straining for, it doesn't sound like they need a great deal of straining for their reviews. It's little comments like this that really get under my skin. OO Casino's too long, if you think you can put across that much information in a shorter time then you're welcome. OK, that's enough for one night, Casino is an epic gangster masterpiece. A landmark of the 90s. It's not Goodfellas no, in my opinion it's better. However, it does require the viewer to have seen Goodfellas to completely understand what Scorsese is trying to say. I hope time will give this film the recognition it deserves.