Casino

The trio of Scorsese, De Niro, and Pesci wasn’t satisfied with the overwhelmingly positive reception of Goodfellas, so they dove into another film again featuring the mafia underworld. Scorsese sitting in the director's chair, making gangster films, must feel like a fish in water because everything he touches in this genre turns to gold, and he always adds some fresh, unique idea. I haven’t read the source material, but in my opinion, the film turned out excellently. In the lead role, we once again have the demon De Niro, whose mafia grimaces add a touch of brilliance to the film. In a supporting role, Sharon Stone nails the part of De Niro’s wild girlfriend to perfection. And then there’s Pesci. If I said De Niro is a demon, what can I even call Pesci? That’s a tough question to answer, but I simply put him at the very top of the pyramid, on a pedestal that even an acting ace like De Niro can’t knock him off. Casino boasts a brilliantly crafted story, absurd moments (mostly featuring Pesci), and entertaining dialogue. Everything is perfectly balanced, and the ending is breathtaking. Compared to Goodfellas, it’s almost identically excellent—both films have contributed a lot to this genre. If you haven’t seen Casino, fix that immediately. I give it 92%. (05/26/2017)

I really enjoyed this movie: its narrative style, interesting personalities, and story. Even though it's so long, I never once felt bored. And right from the beginning I was rooting for De Niro and no one else; I wasn't indifferent to his fate... I went through it with him as if with a friend :-) (01/30/2009)

Usually there’s just one narrator to take us through a story, he’s our bell hop, maid and waiter and we like him and root for him. But what if there are two narrators, interrupting each other? Other precise crime movie from Marty that surprises us where we thought that was impossible. Bobby De Niro is perfect as always, Joe Pesci is a runt who I would be scared to look sideways at and Sharon Stone does credit to her name (she’s wasted for most of the movie). (10/10/2010)

Martin Scorsese once again shows how much he loves voiceovers. This time we don't have just one narrator like in "Goodfellas," but several narrators. Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci lead the way. Scorsese once again excels at portraying the characters, but the audience occasionally feels that something is missing. Yes, it's excellent, but "Goodfellas" was already there, and Scorsese seems to be borrowing from himself a bit. Joe Pesci, however, once again proves how great he is. Unfortunately, his role is quite similar to the one in "Goodfellas." Sharon Stone confirms that she is a great actress. Robert De Niro... Well, he is simply unique. He is perfect in the role of the mobster. Yes, this should be called a Hollywood happy ending. (11/06/2013)

I put this film off for a long time, and in the end it wasn't bad at all, but three hours for a conversational mafia drama is just too much. The setting of the Casino was perfect, but only the first half of the film takes place there, the second half deals more with Robert De Niro and Sharon Stone's relationship and I didn't find that very attractive. But I'll give it a weaker four stars, because it's a wonder I didn't get bored. 70% (03/17/2016)