Casino (1995) - Scorsese's sumptuous Vegas gangster tale has the wingspan of a Greek tragedy

♥♥♥♥♥♥

Robert De Niro blows on a dice in the colored lights on the poster for Martin Scorsese's Casino

QUICK REVIEW:

Casino remains my favorite film by master director Martin Scorsese (The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)) to date, and I therefore naturally believe it to be as good as his other pristine masterwork, Taxi Driver (1976)).

Casino is the story of Sam 'Ace' Rothstein and his childhood friend Nicky Santoro and their greatness and fall, in sync with the bloom and later 'beautification' of Las Vegas in the 1970's and 80's.

Nicholas Pileggi (Goodfellas (1990)) and Scorsese's script relies on what would normally be considered immoderate amounts of monologues, but the visual side of Casino is so strong in its extravagance and glamor that you just let yourself float away with the stream and get captured by the incredible story. Magnificently staged, this is in a way social-realism from another level of society than the generic label usually deals with.
Sharon Stone (Total Recall (1990)) was Oscar-nominated for her part here as Ace's super-bitch of a wife, and it is the best role of her career. Joe Pesci (Goodfellas (1990)) and Robert De Niro (Heat (1995)) are ingenious, and the costumes, - De Niro's especially, - by John A. Dunn (Boardwalk Empire (2010-12)) and Rita Ryack (How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)), are priceless.
With Scorsese's keen musical sense and a lavish production on all accounts, Casino becomes an American epic of Homeric-scale downfall . - A masterpiece.

Related posts:
 
Martin Scorsese: The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) - One helluva movie!  
Boardwalk Empire - 1st season (2010) - Luxurious 1920's ensemble gangster treats  
The Aviator (2004) - The grand American biopic   
Top 10: The best true story movies reviewed by Film Excess to date 
The Age of Innocence (1993) or, Stayin' IN the Pants
Cape Fear (1991) - Scorsese adds lots of stuff to remake but loses the balance 

Sharon Stone in the middle with the dice is amazing in Martin Scorsese's Casino

Robert De Niro in one of his tight costumes for Martin Scorsese's Casino

Watch the original trailer here

Cost: Estimated 40-52 mil. $
Box office: 116.1 mil. $
= Box office success/some uncertainty
[Depending on whether Casino's final cost was 40 mil. $ or 52 mil. $, the film was a minor success or a flop. It was cut to receive an R-rating. It only made 36.5 % of its gross in the US.]

What do you think of Casino?
What is your favorite Scorsese picture and why?