Casino chronicles the rise and fall of a faction of the mob that ran Vegas casinos. Unlike The Godfather, which focused on three key figures, Scorsese’s movie is an epic history of the city and its shift from mafia control to massive gambling corporations.<\/p>\n
The film has an energy and pacing that feel just right, with many small details that feel perfectly accurate. From Ace ordering the casino cooks to put “exactly the same number of blueberries in every muffin” to airborne feds spying on the hoods by flying over a golf course (and landing just on the green), the story is told with a sense of verisimilitude that makes it feel like you’re eavesdropping in a secret world.<\/p>\n
When someone hits a big jackpot, the lights flash and sounds blare. Seeing others winning at the tables or slots gives players hope and creates an illusion of possible luck. But the reality is that everyone loses money over time, because the house always wins.<\/p>\n
Casino features a top cast led by Robert De Niro as bookie Sam “Ace” Rothstein and Sharon Stone as his drug-addicted, con-artist trophy wife. Joe Pesci is excellent as the volatile loose-cannon Nicky Santoro, and their dynamic keeps the movie tense. It’s also worth noting that the film contains some extremely disturbing scenes of violence, including a torture scene with a vice and the death by overdose of De Niro’s character. But these are not merely shocking for style or shock value, but because they accurately depict how the mob skimmed millions out of Vegas casinos.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Casino chronicles the rise and fall of a faction of the mob that ran Vegas casinos. Unlike The Godfather, which focused on three key figures, Scorsese’s movie is an epic history of the city and its shift from mafia control to massive gambling corporations. The film has an energy and pacing that feel just right, … <\/p>\n