1. VaiKelly

   10

   Just when you think you've had enough of Martin Scorcese's gangster movies, comes this captivating new thrill - Casino! Scorcese has Robert de Niro subtle, meticulous, and ruthless, Joe Pesci is every inch the tough-guy gangster who never backs down, but has a temper that is rather too immature and loose. Sam Rothstein (de Niro's character) is efficient and serves his bosses well - he's always sending the goodies back home! Sharon Stone's Ginger is a wreck, drug-induced, unstable, irrational, and apparently, very stupid. Now, how did she lure Rothstein's cool cat personality to fall for her? That's everyday life for you - the smart, cool ones do fall for those types - beautiful, with a personality and body to match, until the gold sheens off the statuette day by day. Pesci's fight scenes are brutal, but real. There is no pretence in these scenes - there is enough violence in the world to disguise such brutal depictions on celluloid. I enjoyed the desert scene, when Rothstein captures the essence in his narration as Pesci's character races through the desert - you didn't know what you could get from Pesci's character. Casino is just a magnificently handled subject, Scorcese has not gone over the top or over-done it, it's impeccably handled, the actors are just apt in their parts, and it is just fascinating to see how the gulf spreads between de Niro and Pesci's characters. Thumps up for Casino - if I may dare say it, it surpasses Goodfellas in its power and impact, and ultimately overpowers Scorcese's later movie, The Departed. Yes it does, I'm betting on it....with Sam Rothstein's back-from-the-dead character on the line!… Expand

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2. Scraper

   5

   Almost an exact duplicate of Goodfellas only this time Joe Pesce has some weird, contrived accent. I feel like Scorsese could rattle off this kind of footage all day, and I would watch, but I've already had my fill.… Expand

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3. DavidH.

   3

   Its merits are few and far between. Badly shot (it looks ugly) and scarce in compelling performances. De Niro is his usual self, but displaying far less depth than in any other Scorcese role he's played. To have to watch the trials and tribulations of these lowlife characters for a merciless three hours is a massive chore. Like in the highly overrated, but superior Goodfellas, these characters are as glib and one-dimensional as they are amoral and this time around, it not only appears as if he has recreated the very same formula, but has in the process of creating such an ambitious project has devoted far too little time to skillful writing or even a sense of plausibility. Thus while Goodfellas palpable sense of realism compensated for the lack of dimension in its story, Casino fails miserably in both departments. What it appears we're left with is 180 minutes of lowest common denominator sleaze and violence. With not a single compelling character or any trace of inventiveness or ingenuity, viewers are expected to appreciate it on that back of its abundant display of sadistic blood-drenched spectacle. Well not this one.… Expand

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