Based
on a true story (although the names have been changed), this tells
the tale of Sam "Ace" Rothstein, a Jewish gambler with an incredible
knack for bet-handicapping. His help with mob bosses inspires trust
in him and he is sent to Las Vegas to manage a large Casino. While
there, a ruthless mafioso named Nicky Santoro decides to make Vegas
his new home, and his reckless behavior brings much heat to the
day-to-day operations of the casino. Meanwhile, Sam marries a
seductive hustler, a beautiful woman of whom he is unsure if she
wants his love or his money.
CASINO is a tour-de-force of acting and directing, both of which are spectacular in the Martin Scorsese and screenwriter Nicholas Pileggi vision of Las Vegas. Three hours long and not a bad performance, uncompelling scene or misguided directorial style in the mix. CASINO is a very dark and violent film, but there are moments of humor to liven up the mood and some fascinating subplots that tie in to the main theme beautifully.
It's astounding to look back on this film and realize that it garnered only one Academy Award nomination (Sharon Stone) when this has some of the best directing, sets, costumes, and cinematography I've seen in a movie of recent years. I think coming off of two inferior films by Scorsese standards (CAPE FEAR and THE AGE OF INNOCENCE) that cooled off Scorsese's reputation in the eyes of Academy Award voters and CASINO was overlooked.
Some may
carp at the excessive length and ultraviolent scenes, but there's no
denying the quality piece of work that CASINO is. It may forever be
overshadowed by it's predecessor in theme GOODFELLAS, but it should
be regarded as another great film in the distinguished career of
Scorsese.
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