Entertainingly intense crime drama from Scorsese

Rating: 9/10 (7 February 2014)

When Casino came out it wasn't too well received from what I can remember. It reunited director Martin Scorsese, writer Nicholas Pileggi and actors Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci from Goodfellas. The obvious similarities between the films were used negatively against it. It was essentially seen as a lesser re-run of that earlier film. Well, I guess critics need to say things like this to indicate they know what they're talking about but for the rest of us such details are sort of irrelevant and we are only really interested in whether Casino was any good on its own right. And the answer is that it sure is. Maybe not of the standard of Goodfellas but it sure is in a similar ball-park. Like that earlier film it's based on real events, although in this case even more characters have been re-named, probably for legal reasons. It's a rise and fall crime film about the workings of a 70's Las Vegas casino, in which the Mafia skimmed millions of dollars.
From the great opening credit sequence from the legendary Saul Bass, this is a tour de force of technical excellence. It' visually very impressive with great period detail. Scorsese is a master at this kind of narrative and commands our attention with his customary dynamic direction. The story is propelled by a fair bit of narration from De Niro and Pesci, who respectively play the man who runs the casino and the Mob enforcer. Both actors are on the top of their game and are impressively supported by a career best turn from Sharon Stone as a high-class hooker who gets involved with De Niro's character in a loveless marriage. None of the principle characters are especially likable or sympathetic but the top class acting from them ensures they are always compelling. Scorsese certainly has a knack of presenting damaged people on screen in convincing and enthralling ways. Like others there is a focus on harsh domestic relationships and the De Niro/Stone coupling does make for intense viewing at times. Pesci, on the other hand, is absolutely full-on and authentic as a very bad guy. In fact, Casino tops any other Scorsese film in the grim violence stakes. This is a film not exactly for the faint hearted at times. It also showcases another facet of the director's with a soundtrack of pop and rock tracks from the period, except this is his most extreme utilisation of this scene setting musical approach with song after song strung together relentlessly, underpinning events with very few gaps of silence in between. If I had to level any negativity against the movie at most I would say maybe it's a little bit overlong but even then it does have a cracking pace and keeps the attention regardless.
It does seem that over the years Casino has garnered a better reputation and is now looked upon as another excellent Scorsese picture and this is the way it should be.