There was a fair amount of backlash around Casino when it first hit the cinemas, much of which stemmed from it being too similar to Scorsese\u2019s Goodfellas. But for me, Casino carries the same energy and urgency of its source material. It\u2019s not just the way in which it ratchets up the tension of the gangster story but also its sense of morality. Its characters are constantly operating in a black hole of corruption. Sam and Nicky hold their meetings in dingy alleys, Remo smokes in the back of his car and they funnel their money through convenience stores.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a film that understands that the American frontier is not a blank canvas, and that the bright romantic veneer of the west is just another mask covering the gaping maw of unchecked avaricious desire. This is reflected in the way that no character in Casino is able to escape their pasts. Even the seemingly new and improved Ginger is unable to break free from her old pimp, Lester.<\/p>\n
Casino is also a film that celebrates the art of the movie, and the power of its actors. Robert De Niro is at his very best here, as is Sharon Stone, who delivers what is arguably the performance of her career. But it\u2019s Joe Pesci who is the real star of the show. His Nicky is not only one of the best mob movie scumbags but also a brilliantly-built character in his own right.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
There was a fair amount of backlash around Casino when it first hit the cinemas, much of which stemmed from it being too similar to Scorsese\u2019s Goodfellas. But for me, Casino carries the same energy and urgency of its source material. It\u2019s not just the way in which it ratchets up the tension of the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3377","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n