Casino Reviews

If you havent seen this movie you haven't lived. This movie is just plain awesome. Yes it might be long, 3 hours to be exact, but the movie flies by you and you are smacked in the face by Scorsese at his best. It is mostly narrated and it almost feels like a documentary. In this movie everything falls into place and everything is nearly perfect.

I believe that Robert De Niro, and Joe Pesci both got snubbed at the Oscars. They should have gotten a nomination, I think De Niro was awesome in this movie and really impressed me....AGAIN. Pesci is at the top of his game in this movie, he is very brutal in this movie, and defiantly makes you think how tough he really is. Sharon Stone not so much, just tons of overacting, the Oscar nomination should have been taken away. It was also nice to see James Woods, and Don Rickles give good performances

If you have 3 hours to spare pick up this movie you will not be dissapointed. I actually had to fast forward back through the first hour and a half of the movie, due to my On Demand going back to the beigning because I stopped it for too long, as I was fast forwarding I just wanted to stop and watch the whole thing again. And I would!

I remember very well, I saw this one when it came out. I was about 15-16 years old back then and I thought it was pretty good but it didn't really blow me away. However, I rewatched it again 15 years later and, this time, it really hit me. Indeed, this time, I thought it was really awesome. I guess the only flaw it has is that he came out after 'The Godfather' and, above all, 'Goodfellas'. Indeed, I guess many people dismiss it as yet another gangster flick directed by Scorsese, starring again Robert de Niro and Joe Pesci. Actually, it is something rather different. First of all, this time around, De Niro has the lead and delivers an impressive performance, as usual. I was also impressed by Sharon Stone who a gave also solid performance but, unfortunately, it is probably the only movie she made during her whole career that I really appreciated (ok, 'Total Recall' was really awesome but she just had a small part). What a shame that Scorsese and De Niro don't make anymore movies together... Anyway, there is here some great directing, great acting and a fascinating story. To conclude, I think it is a great flick, one of the most underated ones directed by Scorsese and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you like the genre.

Great performances from the whole cast... a must see!

''When you love someone, you've gotta trust them. There's no other way. You've got to give them the key to everything that's yours. Otherwise, what's the point? And for a while, I believed, that's the kind of love I had.''

A truly classic film telling the story of the rise and fall of a bookie. Greed, deception, money, power, and murder occur between two mobster best friends and a trophy wife over a gambling empire.

Robert De Niro: Sam 'Ace' Rothstein

Sharon Stone: Ginger McKenna

Joe Pesci: Nicky Santoro

Casino released 1995, from movie maestro Martin Scorsese, compared to GoodFellas, stands on it's own, in terms of cult classic status.
A detailed, beautifully narrated 3 hour spectacle, containing no unnecessary scenes to slow it down, never failing at any opportunity to fascinate and entertain us.



Cue Sam "Ace" Rothstein, a brilliant sports handicapper who takes his talents to Las Vegas. Ace's uncommon expertise and success with making the world of gambling pay off naturally attracts the wrong type of people in the likes of old home-town friend, tied closely with the Mob, Nicky (Joe Pesci), and the romantic object of his affection Ginger (Sharon Stone). Sam unfortunately takes a gamble on these two and the results don't pay off as well as he would have liked. Neither Ace or Nicky are a match for Ginger, whom gets in between them and ultimately plays them both for a time.
Ultimately everyone loses...Or so Scorsese would have you believe.

''Running a casino is like robbing a bank with no cops around. For guys like me, Las Vegas washes away your sins. It's like a morality car wash. In the casino, the cardinal rule is to keep them playing and to keep them coming back. The longer they play, the more they lose, and in the end, we get it all.''

One of the film's remarkable achievements is how expertly the story is told, and Scorsese's ability to cram so many rich details into such a short amount of screen time.
An example of this is where DeNiro's character catches on to a couple of card players using a sophisticated cheating technique so they can communicate with one another, morse-code style to inform each other of their opponents' playing cards which they can see from opposing tables. The way Scorsese can illustrate such rich details during a brief montage showing how the players are able to incorporate this scam to the beat of the Jeff Beck Group's "I Ain't Superstitious" is like watching a master teaching learners and amateurs, showing how it's done for budding film-makers. This is how you make a film and tell a story.

Casino also of course features fine performances from the cast - many of whom also actually happened to appear in GoodFellas. Watch for a clever nod to Frank Vincent's "Billy Batts" role in GoodFellas towards the film's conclusion.
A masterpiece in direction, film editing, and storytelling, Casino contains scenes which may be considered by some as excessively violent, and must also hold some sort of record for the amount of "F" words ever said in a film. Literally every line of dialogue contains the word or variations of swearing and cursing. The easily offended may want to steer clear but then again, you will be missing out.

Certainly one of the great films in the Scorsese canon which makes for a fine companion piece for his groundbreaking classic GoodFellas. I hope Scorsese makes one final mobster film with DeNiro and Pesci.
Casino proves that, as far these three are concerned, you can't get much better of a combination as far as films go. Should my wish come true, hopefully Mr. Scorsese can find another classic rock song to put on the soundtrack to fit the mood of the story besides "Gimme Shelter" - also featured prominently in GoodFellas and The Departed.
Taxi Driver and Raging Bull showed Scorsese is the master of film making, Casino, The Departed and Shutter Island show he still is.

''A lot of holes in the desert, and a lot of problems are buried in those holes. But you gotta do it right. I mean, you gotta have the hole already dug before you show up with a package in the trunk. Otherwise, you're talking about a half-hour to forty-five minutes worth of digging. And who knows who's gonna come along in that time? Pretty soon, you gotta dig a few more holes. You could be there all fuckin' night.''

Casino is possibly one of the better films of the 1990's as it is based on true events but altered for the film to make it more dramatic and gripping.

The Main character Ace who is played by Robert De Niro is a man who can neveer lose a bet as we learn in the movie as he can win and helps the bosses who secretly run vegas money and a lot of it, apart from that we learn that he falls in love with Ginger played by Sharon Stone but she doesnt love him. I like Ace as you see him reach the high and lows in Las Vegas. However i think that Ace's long time friend Nicky who is played by Joe Pesci is the main star of the show as we see him rise from a low level gangster to a person who is like Al Capone as the character is banned from Vegas and all it's casino's, but i like him as he is a caring father and he always makes breakfast each morning.

i think were the desert scene between Ace and Nicky(where even Ace said his chance were living were 50 50 instead of 99 out of 100 as it shows what Vegas can do to friends who have different opinoins.) is one of the better scenes in the movie

Martin Scorsese directed this movie and he did it like how he directed Goodfellas as he started off with the end but showed how it came to be like that in the restof the movie then at the end you see the start again and what happens nex. Scorsese 2worked with De Niro and Pesci for the 3rd time 4 this movie and it shows that they can make a good movie.

overall i consider Casino to be one of the better gangster films of the 1990's as there is a few storylines that in the end tie each other up nicely into 1 storyline at the end

The 1 thing i didn't like in the movie is that Ginger's old boyfriend played by James woods does not get enough screen time as i liked how the character was always going to Ginger to help and she would always do it even tho he got beaten up for it. I thought he should have been in it a bit longer

Casino chronicles the true story of a casino owner, played by Robert De Niro, and his close friend, up-and-coming gangster Nicky Santoro, played by the always entertaining Joe Pesci. The film goes deep, evaluating many moral dilemmas, showing a very in depth look at just how hectic it can be to own a casino, whilst at the same time having to sometimes baby-sit, and work with a ruthless gangster, who shows no respect for anything whatsoever. Joe Pesci returns to his brand here, like his character in Goodfellas and Raging Bull; the uptight, volatile guy who can, and probably will erupt at any moment. Let’s be honest, would Goodfellas, or this film be the same without the crazy Pesci? Personally, I bid not. They’d still be great though.

Directing this picture is Martin Scorsese; the renowned mafia film director, and my personal favorite. There really is nobody in this world with the masterful skills Scorsese was blessed with, and I believe his name will always be at the top of the list, when discussing the greatest gangster themed films ever made. With The Departed, Goodfellas, Mean Streets, and now Casino, this man simply cannot be touched, at least in that department. He has some great range, as he also created Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, The Aviator, and also treading in the horror department with Cape Fear, and Shutter Island. This guy does it all.

Casino is presented within the same style as Goodfellas. The opening scene is very similar, in that it begins with De Niro narrating the story, letting the audience know just exactly what’s going on. Scorsese owns the genre, so his style doesn’t run cold. The narrative is brilliant. Not up to par with his best work, but it works to a tee, and really draws you into the nasty underbelly of the mafia world. De Niro is Sam “Ace” Rothstein, and he’s just been granted ownership of a Vegas casino. At first he’s doing great, making good money, maintaining good control, and all of his employees are working admirably. As time progresses, he realizes that this job isn’t as basic as it first appeared. Outsiders belonging to powerful organizations start messing up Sam’s system, disrespecting all the rules, acting as if they own the place. However, that’s just the least of his concerns, as pretty much everything begins to spiral out of control. Then enters Joe Pesci’s character, Nicky Santoro; an egotistical, violent, and selfish gangster, wanting in on Sam’s business. Sam accepts his best friend in, things go even worse, and chaos ensues as Santoro becomes greedy, and loathing for all the money he can obtain, in any way possible. This is one powerful film, not just the underworld of organized crime, but the emotional tensions that boil up between two pals who want completely different things, and the opposite paths they each take. As the film moves along, Sam meets Ginger, played very well by Sharon Stone, a money-grubbing woman who wants nothing more out of Sam, then his income. That doesn’t help Rothstein’s situation, as Nicky gets banned from every Las Vegas Casino, leaving the two’s friendship in jeopardy. Absolutely mesmerizing performances throughout, even some actors from Scorsese’s previous efforts, who do not disappoint. De Niro’s performance is by the far the greatest of the bunch, but then again, when isn’t he spectacular? James Woods plays Ginger’s pimp, a man with no moral compass, a man who uses Ginger for whatever cash she can grab from Sam. Also in the mix is Sam’s child, who becomes involved at the wrong time, as Woods’ character tries taking control of the family.
The name Martin Scorsese is implanted across every scene in this film, with his normal gritty and realistic violence, some brutal ones as well, a montage when things begin to change. He paces this film almost perfectly, with the exception of a few missteps along the way, but he more than makes up for it with the remainder. The soundtrack is used brilliantly, mixing in with the ever-changing, downward spiral of Sam and Nicky’s empire. What you see may surprise you, boggle your mind, and most likely impress you. Casino is another gem from master director Martin Scorsese. Not to be missed if you’re a fan of his, or if you’re a lover of Goodfellas.

9.5/10