Casino (1995) directed by Martin Scorsese • Reviews, film + cast
With so many creatives involved in both Goodfellas and Casino, there are naturally comparisons between the two but the focus on gambling does mean these are often unwarranted and De Niro is more front and centre here with him more a supporting figure to Ray Liotta’s Henry Hill in Goodfellas. Stylistically there are of course some similarities, the use of voiceover and some of the terminology but for the most part they are different beasts. As with Goodfellas there are bouts of explosive violence.
Now we have to figure out how Sam got himself blown up. We go back to the beginning, and the voice over narration kicks in again. Scorsese uses a lot of voice-over narration here, I mean a lot, and not just for the beginning but for the entire film. It was a bit annoying at first, but I got used to it pretty quick and ended up liking it a lot. It gives the film some of its best lines. We see how Sam and his best friend Nicky Santoro (Joe Pesci) got set up in Vegas. It’s all about the money, so they tell us. No matter what, they have to get the suitcases “back home” to the bosses with enough money in them. That’s their number one priority, and as long as they do that, they’re golden. Sam handles the day to day business in the casino, and Nicky handles the people that won’t pay up. They make a pretty good team, until they don’t.
Hi Kip – Boy, you really nailed that GATSBY/GOODFELLAS observation! I had to take another look at it to jog my memory, but you're right; that scene in GOODFELLAS with Gina Mastrogiacomo showing her girlfriends around that monumentally tacky apartment is EXACTLY a callback (unintentional or not) to a similar scene with Karen Black in THE GREAT GATSBY. Even down to there being a little furball of a dog involved.
And your observation about Elizabeth Shue in LEAVING LAS VEGAS is also very keen. I’m with you in not having found her performance or embodiment of the character all that believable. I’d never looked at it before in context with what Stone does with her role, but now that I have…wow. What Sharon Stone makes of that role becomes even more impressive.
I’m glad you can appreciate CASINO while being a bigger fan of GOODFELLAS. I love GOODFELLAS, too. But CASINO just gets me where I live. Perhaps it’s my Catholic upbringing (which I’m happy to say has lapsed) and Scorsese framing this film as a quasi-religious sin-redemption polemic.
Thank you, Kip, for your thoughtful comments and for reading this post (so quickly!) Take care!
Casino movie review & film summary (1995)
Robert De Niro, Sharon Stone and Joe Pesci star in Martin Scorsese’s riveting look at how blind ambition, white-hot passion and 24-karat greed toppled a Las Vegas casino empire.
Martin Scorsese has said (according to IMDB trivia) that this movie has no plot, and though a lot happens, I can see what he’s saying. Everything in this movie is fairly predictable (both the rise and the fall) but that doesn’t make it any less interesting. Having already seen Goodfellas, I had an expectation for how this story would unfold. There would be a lot of money, violence and excess before the eventual bloody fallout. Like that film, Casino relies on character narration though this time the omniscient perspective comes from both Sam Rothstein (Robert De Niro) and his hot tempered buddy, Nicky Santoro (Joe Pesci).
There’s also Ginger McKenna (Sharon Stone), a hustler that hangs around the casino quite frequently. Sam falls for her the minute he sees her, not only is she young, blond, and extremely pretty, but she personifies Vegas. She knows all the ins and outs, who to pay off, and most importantly, how to make everyone love her. When he first sees her, she’s laughing and throwing poker chips in the air. Sam eventually marries her, but neither of them are the most romantic type of people. They enter into it like a business arrangement. Sam gives her lots of jewelry that Ginger can use if she ever feels like she needs to get away from him. Sam puts a lot of cash in a safety deposit box, and gives Ginger the key. If he’s every kidnapped or something, Ginger is the only one who can save him, and that’s the way he wants it.
Scorsese’s operatic recounting of how organized crime built a gambler’s paradise out of the Nevada desert in Las Vegas. Stars Robert De Niro as expert handicapper “Ace” Rothstein and Joe Pesci as mob enforcer Nicky Santoro, the maniacal muscle who does Ace’s dirty work, both sent west to head operations at the Tangiers Casino—which makes money hand over fist, until an impetuous, street smart hustler named Ginger (Sharon Stone, in a magnificently frayed performance) drives a wedge between the two men. A film as extravagant as the gaudy milieu it depicts, and a savagely funny depiction of moral rot amidst obscene opulence.
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De Niro and Pesci are as one might expect on top form with Sam looking to be in control and Pesci a fine foil. Stone deservedly earned plaudits, lighting up the screen whenever she appears. De Niro is on screen for the vast majority of the film’s three hour runtime and so there is much relying on his performance and he exudes star power showing how in sync he is with Scorsese in one of this finest performances of the 1990s, remarkably coming alongside another the same year in Michael Mann’s Heat.
It gives the film some of its best lines
Hi Ken, I check your site weekly, and it’s always a thrill to see a new essay posted. (Despite the hunky guy at the top of your Back To The Beach post, I was getting a little tired of checking in and finding him still there…)
I skipped Casino when it came out, because I wrongly assumed it would be a retread of Goodfellas. (And I often have a low tolerance for Pesci, particularly if he’s the main character and playing for laughs — I’ve never made it all the way through My Cousin Vinny.)
But I think tonight, while the rest of the world watches that sportsball thingy (apparently all about Taylor Swift and Usher?), I’m gonna settle in for those 3 hours with Casino. And like you, I’m sometimes (albeit infrequently) underwhelmed by Scorsese, but I’m never bored — there are always rewards.
And I’m in your camp as to western, war, and sports films, though I’m not sure it’s so much about the mythology of the hero as it is about my being gay and completely uninterested in such subjects — though, to be fair, I watched 10 minutes of Drag Race, and I was completely uninterested in that as well, while ALL of my friends won’t miss it (and then talk about it endlessly)!
Gotta go, almost time for kickoff— whatever that is…
Casino | Reelviews Movie Reviews
is a 1995 crime film directed by that follows a mobster and his rise to success while running a mob-controlled casino in Las Vegas. The film was inspired by the events surrounding the mob-controlled Stardust casino in Las Vegas during the 1970's. Considered the spiritual sequel to , the film reunites Scorsese, writer Nicholas Pileggi, and actors and , who play fictionalized versions of real-life figures Frank "Lefty" Rosenthal and Anthony "Tony the Ant" Spilotro. The film's cast includes , , , and , who received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her role as Ginger McKenna.
· In Vegas, everybodys gotta watch everybody else
Upon its release, Casino was met with critical acclaim and became a favorite among fans of the gangster genre. The film holds a strong rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with a score reflecting critical and audience appreciation. Critics praised Scorsese’s direction, the compelling performances by , Joe Pesci, and Sharon Stone, and the film’s detailed portrayal of the era. Stone’s performance, particularly, earned her a Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award nomination.
Cinemark Century South Point 16 Movie Theater in Las Vegas
Although mob control of casinos began to wane by the end of the 1970s, there were a few that remained in the grasp of organized crime. Actors Robert DeNiro, Joe Pesci and Sharon Stone brought that to life when they starred in the movie "Casino" in 1995.
Casino streaming: where to watch movie online
HA!
Hello, Neely (please forgive me if you’ve told me your name and I’ve forgotten it. As you note, it’s been a while).
To that subject, I can’t tell you how encouragin’ it is (said in Ruth Gordon’s voice) to know you check out my site regularly. Weekly, yet! I was growing tired of Mr. Back to the Beach, as well. So, thanks for letting me know SOMEONE is out there and aware when I’m MIA.
It’s also encouraging that this essay might inspire you to check out CASINO. One of the most consistent criticisms levied at CASINO is that it is, indeed, a retread of GOODFELLAS, but I’ve always thought it a hollow observation given the similarities of most Mob movies. Both are Scorsese at his best, but only CASINO has Sharon Stone, and that’s like having the Golden Ticket.
I applaud your plan to seek shelter from that ball event monopolizing the airwaves today, and I got a good laugh (because I identified) from your stated reason for not caring for sports, war, and western films. And I can’t really deal with Drag Race either…at least not since the drag aesthetic has been co-opted by Home Shopping Network and most of the newscasters and weather reporters in LA.
My partner is interested in seeing Killers of the Flower Moon (which I loved), so maybe we’ll be settling in for 3 ½ hours of Scorsese ourselves, this evening.
You made my day with your complimentary and very funny comments, Neely. I thank you so much for sticking around and having faith that I hadn’t forgotten my Blogger password or something.
Hope you enjoy CASINO!