Casino follows the exploits of Sam "Ace" Rothstein (Robert De Niro) and Nicky Santoro (Joe Pesci) in late seventies/early eighties Vegas. Rothstein is a brilliant bookie who finds favour with Santoro's mob fathers and given run of the Tangiers Casino. Santoro is sent to keep an eye on things and keep everything running smoothly - which usually means beating people up or killing them. Their two different philosophies - Ace the efficient and more level headed type and Nicky as the thug - begin to clash as both try and leave their mark and make the most money. Despite being best friends, things get ugly when Ginger (Sharon Stone) gets involved and eventually greed and drugs end up sending everything to hell with FBI, kidnappings, murders, and plenty of profanity. Scorsese is a great director but as always is a little over the top with violence. Thankfully though, the movie never descends into the stupidity of some scenes in Gangs of New York.
Organized crime is fascinating to me, and I understand the appeal and the glamour that seems to surround it, however it truly does border on madness the worldview/mindset required to be part of such an institution, and the movies can make it seem over-glorified - it's easy to be caught up one isn't careful. The consequences always seem to be portrayed in a tragic light rather than...well, than being what they are: the just ends. Despite any moral qualms with the subject matter, the acting and direction are top notch, the characters have flare, and the plot kept me wound tight until the end. And that's why it's a good movie. It tells a story smoothly and effectively and churns the brain and heart. Scorsese scores again with Casino.
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