On C List of Movie Reviews
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Casino (1995)
Rate:
6
Viewed:
6/04, 3/09
3/09:
After Raging Bull and Goodfellas, Casino is the third film by Martin Scorsese featuring Robert De Niro,
Joe Pesci, and Frank Vincent, among others.
Mostly a rehash of the previous two, the first eighty minutes seemed to work well. I was thinking to
myself, "Why doesn't it deserve a '10'?" Then, the next hundred minutes proceeded to answer my question.
The editing isn't bad, but there are too many brief scenes. As a result, everything feels rushed, but I get the gist of
what Las Vegas is all about and how Ace Rothstein does his job. Then, I'm introduced to numerous characters
along with the subplots. It was working out well until the fall started. From there on, the subplots are poorly utilized, and a
trainload of new characters come and go without me knowing who the heck they are. The drama between Ace Rothstein and his
wife is unconvincing, not adding a great deal to the movie.
Anyway, what an awful performance by Sharon Stone. I still laugh at the fact that she was given an Oscar nomination. In short,
Sharon Stone got miscast. Robert De Niro is fair who's stuck with an underdeveloped character. At any rate, his run
as a terrific Scorsese actor is over. Joe Pesci has his moments yet has the same problem like De Niro's. Rather, he's
used for the purpose of filling in the time.
Increasingly, the film has become about the colors of Robert De Niro's suits, the lights of Las Vegas, and Sharon
Stone's wardrobe instead of quality acting and storylines. Let's be fair: Martin Scorsese is done. He has done enough
classic films, and it's been an outstanding career for him.
All in all, Casino is a disappointing film for a lot of reasons.