Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Masterpeice of modern cinema; dark, glamorous and thrilling, 25 Aug 2005
It must be annoying for Martin Scorsese when people call Casino Goodfellas Part 2 and understandably so; Casino, though featuring both Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci, is completely a film of its own. Goodfellas was a study of the middle class gangsters of New York; Casino is about the middle class making it big. It is a far more ambitious film than Goodfellas, strangely more civilised and tamed because of the glamorous setting of Las Vegas, which is revealed to be so hollow and controlled by a group of corrupt old men.Casino tells the story of Sam 'Ace' Rothstein (De Niro), a Jewish casino manager in 1970s Las Vegas. It revolves around the system of the casinos and how ultimately you lose more money than you gain, but also his relationship with his childhood friend, Nicky Santoro (Joe Pesci) and his wife, Ginger McKenna (Sharon Stone). It flows so beautifully, describing in rich detail through the voiceovers of De Niro and Pesci how the casino works. Casino is such a classy film, each shot packed with glamour and the plot fueled by a great soundtrack and sharp dialogue. There are so many memorable moments and essentially it serves so much less as a biopic than Goodfellas. The acting is first rate - De Niro shines in all 180 minutes, playing a flawed and possessive man, but one who is weighed down by his loyalities to friends. Joe Pesci is on top form as the reckless Nicky Santoro, a mob boss. His performance is similar to that of Goodfellas, but there is something more classy and swish about it. Sharon Stone would steal the show if it wasn't for De Niro and Pesci, as her performance is one of perfection. You will not know whether to pity, hate, or love her character. This is what makes Casino so great. The characters are so complex and human, they are totally believable and you will be ever curious of their ultimate fates. This really is Martin Scorsese's finest work of the 90s. If you were to compare it to Goodfellas, you would call Goodfellas perfected, as it takes everything in Goodfellas to the next level, whether it be the charisma of its characters, the violence, the dialogue, or the cinematography. This character driven story will get better each time you watch it and flows like a river, every scene a classic in its own way. If you are a fan of Martin Scorsese, then Casino is a must have. Even if you're not a fan, Casino is by all means worth watching and an instant classic in the crime/thriller/drama genre.
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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Awesome!, 8 Aug 2005
You could write this film off as a Goodfellas rehash, but don't! It is quite simply, fantastic! Of course, the similarities to Goodfellas are there, what with the obvious one being the cast and crew. The good thing is, though, is that Casino somehow manages to feel quite different despite looking the same.
The acting is, like Goodfellas, absolutely suberb, with even the bit part players convincing. An Oscar Nominated Sharon Stone as Ginger is absolutely stellar, in parts stealing the show as a money grabbing hustler only out for herself. Joe Pesci is also excellent as Nicky Santoro, practically playing Tommy Devito all over again, albeit slightly more sinister, if you can imagine that. It's Robert Deniro who really shines in this movie though as Sam 'Ace' Rothstein, the calm and calculating Casino Director.
What amazes me about Deniro is that he always seems to not just play the character, but become them. Unlike other flavour-of-the-month, Hollywood expendables, Deniro is always a different person with different traits that he brings to the role through acting without having to use the script to show who his character is. Here, he does just that. There is barely a trace of his Goodfellas role, the cold, ruthless Jimmy Conway.
Also look out for James Woods as the ultimate loser boyfriend and Kevin Pollak of The Usual Suspects as mafia pawn Philip Green.
The style of the film is also Goodfellas-esque, but that could only be a good thing. Scorsese's philosophy must be that, if you've a good idea, why not use it again? The editing is quick and therefore helps along the pace. It's amazing how much information he and editor Thelma Schoonmaker can cram into a film. It may be nearly three hours long, but considering the timeline spans 10 years, that's pretty good.
Music, once again like Goodfellas, is also used heavily and effectively. Most of the time you don't even notice it's there, but when you do, you find that hundreds of tracks are used across almost the entire film, amazingly always fitting perfectly with the tone and length of the scene.
The question is, which is better: Casino or Goodfellas? Having loved Goodfellas and ranking in my all time top films, I'd have to say that my personal favourite has definitely changed to Casino. It's the way that, yes, it is like Goodfellas, but on a much larger scale. It's as though Scorsese just wanted more. The violence is more graphic, the costumes are colourful and garish, the performances are equally terrific, but, at parts, more stand-out and memorable.
If you enjoy Scorsese's work and this masterpiece has so far eluded you, I recommend you buy it right away.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
2xDVD, 4 April 2007
None of the other reviewers so far have mentioned anything about the fact this is a special edition version of Casino with 2 DVD's. One is entirely filled with documentaries surrounding the movie, and cast/crew interviews involving most of the main characters. These documentaries are great, and the interviews are very good and reveal a lot about the people behind the actors. Sharon Stone even breaks down in one of the interviews for some reason or other, but I can't quite figure out why. Classic film.
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