Casino (1995)
How long can you stay at the top?
Presentation:
A Scorsese crime films from the past, what’s not to love? Maybe the fact that they all feel like iterations of a similar format with little divergence in style. I don’t know what’s more impressive, the fact that this film is as good as his crime films today or how he manages to keep perfecting the same formula while still feeling somewhat different. There are some aspects that make this film clearly below Goodfellas. It starts slow and the material is less compelling. I would say the first 15 minutes is completely narration and half of the film will continue to be presented that way. This makes the story very audio driven, and honestly at times could be enjoyed as an audiobook. I wouldn’t be surprised if this film holds the record for most copyrighted licensed soundtracks. It’s basically a 70s rock playlist, which is the main thing keeping the narration from being dull. This doesn’t mean there isn’t any visual interest, it’s actually very tightly edited and can be enjoyed similarly to films like Elvis. Las Vegas and its sparkling neon lights are mesmerizing which is aided by the cinematography utilizing a lot of dutch angles.
Conclusion:
A good film, but where does it rank among Scorsese films? I’ve watched most of his crime films and the fact that he uses the same formula and actors every time really feels stale were it not for the dazzling lights of the Las Vegas casinos. Sharon Stone disappoints, Joe Pesci and De Niro play the same personality as always. If you’ve watched Goodfellas, The Irishman, or any other Scorsese gangster style film, they don’t really feel that different except in pacing and setting. I personally don’t really like narration style films (ironic) and there’s just way too much of it here. The film ends up lacking a lot of agency and presentness, which is also probably why Goodfellas didn’t blow me away either. Still a good time and comfort film even if you’re familiar with how things will unfold.
Recommendations
Just imagine all the gems Scorsese makes after hours…