CASINO
A film review by Chad Polenz
Copyright 1997 Chad Polenz
***1/2 (out of 4 = very good) 1995, R, 179 minutes [2 hours, 59 minutes] [crime/drama] starring: Robert De Niro (Sammy "Ace" Rothstein), Joe Pesci (Nicky Santonio), Sharon Stone (Ginger), James Woods (Lester), produced by Barbara DeFina, written by Martin Scorsese, Nicholas Pieggi (based on his novel), directed by Martin Scorsese.
Las Vegas is all about greed, everyone knows that. It was founded by gangsters in the 1930s and continued to be run by organized crime for about 40 years. "Casino" is a good crime film that pulls no punches in its depiction of Las Vegas as seen through the mafia. We get a lot of complex criminal operations with families, honor, etc., but underneath it all lies a typical soap opera. Even the criminal element can't get away from melodrama.
Robert De Niro stars as Sammy "Ace" Rothstein, a typical 1970s "Family Man" who turns his attention to Las Vegas. His problem is he doesn't know who to trust or what to do. He seems to want to run a legitimate business, but he still must respect his elders through charitable, yet illegal, donations. He meets a woman named Ginger (Stone), who, much like him, is a master swindler and gambler - who says opposites attract? Eventually they marry but Ginger never seems to truly love Sammy. She is perhaps an even better con artist than he and manages to swindle $2 million in cash and thousands of dollars in jewelry from him because he trusts her.
One of the passive themes of the film is love and trust, especially when it comes to organized crime. Which is more important, loyalty to the mob or one's lover? However, this is only implied as such, there is not enough detail put into the relationship between Sammy and Ginger. At first they are in love, but then their lives fall apart because Ginger still is a loose cannon and is swindling her husband's money. She becomes an alcoholic and a drug addict, letting her own life be ruined even though she has everything she needs.
Of course there's Joe Pesci as the stubborn and vicious crime boss Nicky San tonio, who moves to Las Vegas and tries to take over a city that is not his. Meanwhile Sammy is trying to run a reputable casino, but has constant clashes with Nicky are affecting his personal and professional life.
It certainly is interesting to watch how the mafia ran Las Vegas and the attitude they had, but at times it becomes too confusing and too detailed for its own good. Then again, the details make the story very suspenseful, and almost scary in a way.
"Casino" works well as a crime film and a straight drama, although it does become somewhat melodramatic at times. Even a great director like Scorsese probably wouldn't intentionally include standard, dramatic elements just to tell a story. I've got no problem with drama, it's melodrama that bothers me.
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