Casino
Is there any doubt that Martin Scorsese is the all time undisputed master of the gangster film? One of the reasons for that is his uncanny ability to make each film seem different and with a fresh perspective on the mob lifestyle, starting with the rough low budget proceedings of Mean Streets all the way into the one that many consider his masterpiece, 1990’s Goodfellas, a movie that was showered with awards acclaim and even garnered a Best Supporting Actor Oscar win for Joe Pesci. But as entertaining as Goodfellas was, it still carried a slightly stale air about it as yet ANOTHER major mafia movie set in New York City along with some minor character development issues, and ironically there are many who felt that Scorsese actually managed to top it in 1995 with this release, bringing the gangster movie firmly to rest in the neon colored lights of Las Vegas and its never ending string of casino establishments, but unfortunately it did not receive nearly the same amount of acclaim as its predecessor, caused perhaps by the returns of Pesci and Robert DeNiro in starring roles, along with Frank (Billy Batts) Vincent in a larger role than before as Pesci’s right hand man. Like Goodfellas, this was based on completely true events that occurred when the Midwest mob out of Kansas City owned a share of several Vegas casinos, with things getting so heated that it eventually erupted in violence and bloodshed as the battle for control of the turf went on. What’s most interesting is the level of writing and acting on display here by DeNiro and Pesci, with both of them actually topping their performances in Goodfellas, especially with how they come off as both being symphathetic characters. Pesci still gets his violent outbursts of course, but he is also shown as being insecure and full of guilt and self doubt, a far cry from his thoroughly unlikable yet mesmerizing turn as a laughing, psychotic, stone cold killer in Goodfellas, while DeNiro goes from being basically a loyal apologist for the Pesci character in the previous film to being a lifelong friend of his who finds himself having a major CONFLICT with Pesci which leads to everything from mere threats to actual attempts on each other’s lives over a variety of issues. DeNiro plays Ace Rothstein (in real life a guy named Lefty Rosenthal), an oddsmaker in the mob’s sports gambling operations whose instincts (and access to inside info on the sports teams that are playing) are so succinct that he rises up quickly through the mob ranks due to his innate ability to make them a hell of a lot of money. Eventually he gets what seems to be his dream job, put in charge of a mob owned casino in Vegas overseeing all operations even without a gaming licence, which is covered by having his job title be various miscellaneous things while it is always acknowledged within that he is the GUY IN CHARGE. And in charge he is, busting various dirty gamblers left and right for cheating and subjecting them to all forms of violent punishment with the help of his fearsome casino manager (whom Pesci finally lays out like he’s nothing) played by the laughably unthreatening Don Rickles. Ace knows all the tricks, and dutifully watches every player in the room, until he spies an astoundingly beautiful prostitute and hustler played by Sharon Stone in the best performance of her career and the film’s only Oscar nomination in the Best Actress category. Her Ginger McKenna knows how to reel in a man all right, and she also knows how to clean them out with her only serious loyalty being towards her reptillian pimp / longtime boyfriend played by an ultra slimy James Woods. Ace could care less about the stories he’s heard about her though, wining her and dining her and finally proposing marriage as she even handedly explains to him that she is just not in love with him, but Ace could care even less about that as he offers her a business proposition and essentially tells her that he is allowing himself to be used and taken advantage of by her in exchange for her hand in marriage. Of course, once you factor in the idea that she is also a junkie with a bad drug habit, then the road to ruin now starts to be paved. Stone brings her character to life with a combination of gorgeous smiles and nerve wrenching breakdowns, as Ace (who really does love her) sadly and sweetly tries to talk her down to no avail, with her own self destructive nature and outright obvious hatred for a controlling husband who won’t let her go form a dangerous cocktail for her inner demons to drink from as the story goes on. As for Pesci, his Nicky Santoro is a vicious mob enforcer told to watch out for DeNiro’s best interests due to DeNiro’s importance to the whole organization for his money making skills, first in KC and then in Vegas, with such notable bits as an attack on a shit talker with a ball point pen, crushing another dilettante’s head in a vice, and various other shootings and beatings before even deciding to go into business for himself, muscling in on the other casinos (except DeNiro’s) and gambling establishments (with an army of informants) along with robbing blind any high roller that comes near him before pouring the profits into his own small businesses but also unfortunately attracting the attention of the FBI and bringing heat onto DeNiro’s business interests due to their known friendship (keeping in mind that DeNiro, while mob connected, is still a relatively decent and legit business manager who turns away from actual killing so strongly that he even allows Woods to live when he tries to run off with his wife albeit subjecting him to a pretty severe assbeating). But the real problem arises when Stone successfully divides the lifelong friends once and for all by making friends with Pesci and confiding in him her marriage problems before seducing him. This of course is a BIG, big problem to the bosses in Kansas City since they don’t want their big earner to be distracted by such pitiful marriage woes brought on by one of their own, so now everything starts to break down. What must be said is, second only perhaps to Fear And Loathing, this is possibly one of the best looking and best shot films ever made about Sin City with Scorsese bringing the Strip, the hotels, and the casinos alive like few others, and Pesci especially plays Santoro with much more depth than his trigger happy Tommy DeVito in Goodfellas, somewhat tortured by his betrayal of his best friend but still rejoicing a bit at the idea of getting some payback by playing with his psychologically damaged wife, so much so that it’s a surprise he wasn’t at least nominated for this role. DeNiro as well elicits some sympathy for being in denial over a woman who simply does not want to be with him, a far cry from his fairly neutral role in Goodfellas. But it is Stone who defines for all time the essence of the lying, manipulative bitch, the true villain of the piece while also its most tragic figure, who wants nothing more than to be with the lowlife loser scumbag Woods, but not until she takes DeNiro for every last nickel she can squeeze out of him knowing all along that she wants to blow it all on drugs but still denying it until her last breath. Even at nearly 3 hours, the film moves so fast and quick with all the important details of how everything works that multiple viewings are certainly a necessity. Even more amazing is how after numorous spurts of violence towards the end, Scorsese chooses to end the film itself on a quiet, almost reflective note, all while using various characters to provide narration, insight, and different points of view on the proceedings (with one character even being killed in the middle of their narration, causing them to be cut off while talking), all driving home the point that the mob will do both anything to make money and also anything to protect their business interests, but only this time told in a fresh, exciting, vibrant environment that also provides tremendous insight into how these kinds of places work. In 1990, Goodfellas losing the Best Picture Oscar to Dances With Wolves was considered a travesty of unprecedented proportions, but this mafia movie 5 years later by the same director with the same two main stars is actually even better…
10/10