Casino

Rating:
Summary: Dante, Milton, Rabelais, and Scorcese
Review: This movie seems to have everything a great story requires: a colorful setting, fascinating characters, an action-filled plot sustained by a multiple of tensions and conflicts, and all manner of revelations about the uses and abuses of power in the casino world of Las Vegas. What makes this movie especially interesting to me is the sub texture of individual characters (especially those played by DeNiro and Stone) who seem to be torn between various addictions and the demands of those addictions on the heart and mind. I almost (not quite) feel sympathy for DeNiro's character ("Ace" Rothstein) who manifests all of the requisite skills of an effective CEO amidst all the corruption he accepts and thereby condones. He wants to be a loving, devoted husband and father. Except for his feelings for the character played by Stone (Ginger McKenna), he is the absolute realist. The life he offers to her is one which, from the moment he proposes marriage, she is reluctantly willing but ultimately unable to accept. The characters played by Pesci (Nicky Santoro) and Woods (Lester Diamond) are most representative of an underworld culture of crime and corruption, addiction, violence, greed, glamor, and self-interest. The first half of the movie is essentially a documentary on the casino world, crisply and (when necessary) brutally managed by those controlled by syndicate bosses headquartered elsewhere. The fictional narrative becomes dominant in the second half as the mob eventually loses its control and most of the characters lose their lives. Corruption exists at all levels of this world, varying only in terms of degree of access to the hundreds of millions of dollars processed each day. Meanwhile, conventioneers and tourists pour through the casinos, unaware of the human darkness concealed by the sparkling lights.

Rating:
Summary: My favorite movie
Review: Casino is beyond a great movie. My favorite mob movie, or any movie. I saw it about year ago. The acting, writing and directing were the best I've ever seen. The plot was easy to follow. The choices of the actor's were perfect. At one point in the movie, I got so into it, it was as though I was there. A buy movie.

Rating:
Summary: Scorsese does it again!
Review: Directed by Martin Scorsese, Casino is a story about Sam Rothstein, a professional gambler who becomes the boss of a mob operated casino in Las Vegas during the 1970's.
Ace runs the business and regularly sends lots of cold cash to his bosses. Helping Ace keep the casino's employees and customers honest is his best friend Nicky. Although Ace aims to run a relatively respectable casino, Nicky wants to take over the entire gambling mecca. Then money hungy Ginger McKenna enters the picture, further complicating Ace and Nicky's friendship. She agrees to marry Ace even though she isn't in love with him and tells him as much. As drugs and alcohol become a bigger part of Ginger's life, Ace's possessiveness and jealously drive her into an affair with Nicky. This is a must for all Scorsese fans!

Rating:
Summary: Very Good But Not As Excellent As Goodfellas
Review: Director Martin Scorsese reteams with screenwriter Nicholas Pil-
eggi for this examination of the rise and fall of a Las Vegas ca-
sino run by a slick mafia loan shark (Robert De Niro) and his violent hair trigger partner (Joe Pesci). Although the film is very good and Sharon Stone has good moments with her character, this film is not as excellent as GOODFELLAS (My all time favorite
mob movie) and GOODFELLAS is superior to this film and way better
than CASINO. The first flaw of CASINO is it should've been made by Warner Brothers, which made two other Scorsese mob pictures
MEAN STREETS and GOODFELLAS and if their ever was a collection of
Scorsese films they can add this to those films. Another flaw is
CASINO is not as enthralling and stylish like GOODFELLAS was. Another problem is Joe Pesci's character isn't as wonderful as his Tommy Devito in GOODFELLAS. Despite all this, it is still enjoyable to watch and it's screenplay provides all good details.
I am a real real big big Scorsese fan and has enjoyed all his movies and although CASINO is not my favorite Scorsese film to watch, it is still a good movie even though it is not a timeless
classic like GOODFELLAS, RAGING BULL, and MEAN STREETS, which are
better films. However I do like this one even though it is not a
masterpiece like GOODFELLAS was and GOODFELLAS is a way better movie than CASINO.

Rating:
Summary: Very Good But Not As Excellent As Goodfellas
Review: Director Martin Scorsese reteams with screenwriter Nicholas Pileggi for this examination of the rise and fall of a Las Vegas
casino run by a slick mafia loan shark (Robert De Niro) and his
violent hair trigger partner (Joe Pesci). Although the film is very good and Sharon Stone has fine moments with her character,
it is nowhere near as excellent as GOODFELLAS (My favorite mob
movie ever) and GOODFELLAS is and always will be the superior film. While the movie has the atmosphere of a gangster film, this
one fails to be stylish and exthralling which is what GOODFELLAS
had and this one dosen't quite have a large amount. Another flaw
is CASINO should've been made by Warner Brothers like MEAN STREETS and GOODFELLAS was because if ever they were going to release a mob movie collection they can add this one to it. Final it is too long that their were scenes that were not impor-
tant. They should've kept it 2 1/2 hours like GOODFELLAS was. Despite all the problems, this is still a film worth watching and
the fully detailed screenplay provides good stuff of the story.
I am a real big fan of Martin Scorsese and this movie is not as
superb as GOODFELLAS, TAXI DRIVER, RAGING BULL, and MEAN STREETS
but nevertheless is one to enjoy watching even though it is not one of my favorites to watch. Although I said it is still enjoyable, it is not a timeless classic like GOODFELLAS was and
GOODFELLAS is way better.

Rating:
Summary: Some old (but good) Scorsese storytelling
Review: Only a veteran filmmaker like Martin Scorsese can make the same movie twice and get away with it. Because, after all, that's what "Casino" really is: a retelling of "Goodfellas". Not better, not worse, but definitely familiar to those of us who watched (and love) that story about sub-urban gangsters. This time, Scorsese even gathers up a lot of the same cast, including Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci (who does brilliant work as always). But "Casino" only has one real star: Las Vegas. The city is portrayed in its old splendor, when it was a very exclusive empire of money, gambling and lust, and the mob ran the show. The movie tells us the rise and fall of such empire through the eyes of one man: Sam "Ace" Rothstein. Among the fellow cast members are excellent performances by James Woods and Sharon Stone, who received an Oscar Nomination for her role of Ginger, a former prostitute who becomes Sam's wife and eventually breaks down in a twister of sex, greed and drug abuse. The movie is really good, even though it touches familiar territory, and has the kind of storytelling that I really love in Martin Scorsese. Comparisons to "Goodfellas" are inevitable, but I assure you (if you haven't seen it) that you'll appreciate it this way.

Now, as for extras, this is a very domestic release, which means that it barely provides us with a theatrical trailer. Now that I think of it, a commentary track by the cast members would've been nice, especially since this was the film that gave a serious boost to Sharon Stone's career, not only giving her an Oscar Nomination, but also gaining her the respect of a lot of critics.

All I can say is: those who watch "Casino" looking for some new ground-breaking approaches in Scorsese's cinema will be disappointed. But, on the other hand, if you just kick back and watch him have fun with some familiar characters in a familiar story, then you're in for a treat.

Rating:
Summary: Finally another movie with the goodfellas crew!
Review: If you like the mob, then you will like this film! It shows how one man learned all the ins and outs of owning a Casino in beautiful Las Vegas(at the time!). The man is Robby Deniro and he's well connected as always in these films and THE MAN gives him the chance to run a casino. This movie has it all and for the fans of Scorcese and the mafia, con-artist genre then this is one movie you should pick up!

Rating:
Summary: This movie should be in every DVD collection...
Review: It's a classic Robert DeNiro and Joe Pesci performance. These two work SO well together it's crazy!! What a fun movie!

Rating:
Summary: Great acting, great direction
Review: Although I never saw the 1990 blockbuster 'Goodfellas'; and am not a huge mob movie fan, I do have to say that I enjoyed Martin Scorsese's 'Casino'. And the cast here also contains some of the main components of 'Goodfellas', including Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci and Frank Vincent. And the stand-out performance goes to De Niro, who plays the role of Sam Rothstein; or as he's known by many: Ace. This movie may be very long (somewhere around three hours running time), but the length is what adds to the greatness of the film. It's not too long and it's definitely not boring. Getting back to De Niro's main character, you soon see the life of Sam. It's a life that has as many ups and downs as that of a roller coaster. One of those downs, as you begin to see partway into the film, is Joe Pesci's character. Pesci, who took home an Oscar for his supporting role in 'Goodfellas', assumes the role of Nicky Santoro. Nicky's a bad guy. It's as simple as that. But nevertheless, Sam and Nicky are good friends.

The story basically tells us how the mob attempts to take over the gambling scene, which in the movie is controlled by Robert De Niro (who owns a casino). And being a three hour film, you get a good look at how this alleged capture is done. Often times such a long movie bores people and slows the story too much, but not here. Scorsese's direction and De Niro's acting will not even begin to bore you. In fact, the first tape seems to end rather quickly.

And besides the acting of De Niro and Pesci, actress Sharon Stone gives a brilliant performance that earned her an Oscar nomination. She plays a dazzling young Ginger who catches the eye of De Niro; and Pesci for that matter. By the by her role is so different from the rest that you can't help but appreciate her acting. The only reason that I gave 'Casino' 3 stars (it's really about 3.5 or so), and not more, is because I was a little disappointed with the turnout of Sam "Ace" Rothstein's character. But the movie's acting and directing is certainly worth your time. If you like mob movies, or even if you don't, then see this movie. It's very well done.

Rating:
Summary: WOW
Review: This was another awesome performance by these 3 great actors/actress pesci, deniro, stone.....another great mob move this is as almost as good as goodfellas..... great mob movie to own......really interesting