Flashy lights, green grass and red blood.

Rating: 10/10 (2 January 2009)

After the great Goodfellas, Martin Scorsese released Casino, a very similar movie with a few of the same actors, and I think I actually prefer this one to its predecessor, by a small margin. Casino is embellished with a lot of flashy overhead shots of nighttime Las Vegas, but underneath all that, you'll find a compelling and gritty drama full of great characters, a complex and winding plot that will have you stuck to your seat for the full three hours - not an easy feat, I might add - with multiple subplots that all remain interesting. They intertwine and twist into the great drama that is the individual man's life, and there are countless scenes here that will remain memorable: the introduction of each major character, Joe Pesci interacting with his young son, Sharon Stone interacting with her leeching ex-boyfriend, the scene where Robert DeNiro stands in the desert as the dust from Pesci's car kicks up around him, and the countless scenes of upper-class suburban Los Vegas juxtaposed with the chaotic, grimy personal lives of those who inhabit it.
This movie is pretty long, so if you are not the type who likes to sit down for three straight hours, then I wouldn't recommend this one to you, but for everyone else, feast away. Martin Scorsese's Casino is always realistic, stirring and memorable, so go see it if you haven't already. Superlative.