CASINO
A film review by Merch
Copyright 1996 Merch
***1/2, out of 4
CASINO (1995) is one of those rare movies where everything falls wonderfully into place. The script is magnificent, with nary a weak point in sight. The story follows the rise and fall of two gangsters, played to perfection by Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci as they leave their mid-western gambling roots and literally "take over" Las Vegas. One tries to take the high road by running the Tangiers Hotel and Casino (De Niro), while the other (Pesci) takes the low road, becoming one of the most feared (and sought-after) men in the city. Both try to please the bosses "back home", to varying degrees of success. Marty Scorsese turns in a wonderful job of directing, and will be forever credited for taking Sharon Stone (who plays Ginger, the coke-head alcoholic wife) from the terrible material she has had post-"Basic Instinct" to her Golden Globe win for Best Actress and her subsequent Oscar nomination for this part. The musical score is peppered with over 30 songs from the 70's and 80's, which serve in many cases as narratives (i.e. after Stone and De Niro have a falling out, "I'm Sorry" plays). CASINO is a well done film, and will please many groups of people: fans of the actors (Stone has an especially showy part), lovers of the genre (gangster films), and those who appreciate wonderful atmosphere (you at some points would really swear that this was really filmed during the era it portrays). CASINO is rated R for brief nudity (none, surprisingly, done by Sharon Stone), heavy language, and some very graphic violence. It has a running time of 179 minutes, and also stars Don Rickles, James Woods, Alan King, and Kevin Pollak (A Few Good Men).
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