Casino (Movie Review)
Casino is Martin Scorsese dialing up Goodfellas to 11. It’s the mob life in all its glory, with Chairman of the Board brashness and lurid Vegas baby. Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci play their roles perfectly, although Sharon Stone steals the show as the addicted-to-anything femme fatale opportunist most men would aspire to tame.
The film’s first hour is told almost like a documentary. It explains how gambling king and mob heir Sam “Ace” Rothstein (De Niro) funnels money out the back door of the fictional Tangiers hotel he all but runs for his mafia elders back East. Then it shows how he and his mob partners skim millions from the other games, from food service, and even the gift shops.
It reveals how casinos manipulate their visitors’ emotions to make them feel euphoric and keep them gambling for as long as possible. For instance, they waft scented oils in their ventilation systems to create the scent of victory. They also use windowless spaces to create a sense of intimacy and encourage people to gamble more.
Casino is a fascinating and entertaining movie, but it’s more about relationships and betrayals than it is about gambling. Nevertheless, it has all the hallmarks of a great film: A riveting story, a brilliant cast, stunning cinematography, and the ingenuity of a director who understands that a movie isn’t just shot but built.