Too much.

Rating: 6/10 (22 April 2003)

Is Casino a poor movie? Of course it is not. After all, the constituent elements are there and one can almost foretell a delectable piece on the dark underbelly of Vegas told through a true master's aesthetics. If the same breakneck verve that abounded in 'Goodfellas' was applied to the already radiant Las Vegas, is it not logical to think that something truly stunning should ensue?
The opening title sequence is enough to make your mouth water as the significance and seriousness of the tale is immediately conveyed through the gracefully falling body of De Niro and a backdrop of Bach's fine choral piece. However, somewhere along the line the screws went undone and someone must have forgotten to carry the 2. Casino left me feeling like the proverbial s***. Though the violence cannot be deemed gratuitous, something about the film is so dark and depressing, the final product is little short of off-putting. The obvious fault is the length, but there is a myriad of other problems that force Casino to trudge along while Goodfellas flew by.

All in all, definately not a waste of time, but have something cheerful lined up later.