Enthusiasts of mafia dramas ought to discover this overlooked gem, available to stream without charge on ITVX and Prime Video, whilst anticipating the much-awaited Peaky Blinders film. This recommendation follows similar praise for a “masterpiece” gangster series and a BBC crime drama, reports the Mirror.
The film has garnered considerable acclaim on IMDb, with one particularly enthusiastic 9/10 review headlined: “I enjoyed this more than Goodfellas”. The reviewer elaborated: “The parts of this film I enjoyed the most were when you learned about how Vegas operated.”
They continued: “And, in this sense, I enjoyed the film much more than Goodfellas… Also with the same stars and same director. This is because Goodfellas was mostly just about violence and crime… Whereas Casino seemed to have more story and wasn’t always about excessive violence and nastiness…not that the film is in any way a ‘nice’ picture.”
Another perfect 10/10 review hailed the picture as “the most uncompromising studio picture of the 1990s”. The critic proceeded to describe it as “a complex, multilayered, beautifully directed film” and a “masterpiece of destruction and betrayal”.
Drawing parallels with Goodfellas, the reviewer noted: “Few films take so many chances and succeed so wonderfully. It takes some of the basic formulas that were found in Goodfellas and applies them to another type of story.
“While Goodfellas’ view was ground-level, telling the story of the “blue collar” gangsters of NYC, this film tells the story of the guys who controlled those guys.”
The user added: “An amazing film that will hopefully get the recognition it deserves in the years to come.”
Another highly-rated review hailed the piece as an “underrated and undervalued Scorsese Classic”. The individual praised the acting as “superb” and confessed: “Every time I watch this picture I fall in love with it all over again. This is the most honest depiction of Las Vegas, especially of the time period it was portrayed in. Scorsese’s direction is flawless.”
A further top-tier review commended the “brilliant” acting and the “superb” story based on real-life events. The reviewer went on to declare: “In fact, in my opinion, it’s one of the best organized crime movies of all time [sic].”
Whilst a fourth 10/10 review heaped praise once more and described it as a “fantastic” film and their favourite. They explained: “I enjoyed good fellas, thought Raging Bull was great and enjoyed Taxi driver but this is a cut above the rest imo I have seen this film to many times to count and i am yet to become even remotely sick of it.
“The acting is flawless, story flows at a great pace for the full all but 3 hours, great narration and a great soundtrack [sic].”
They added that the characters are “far more believable then those in good fellas [sic].”
The 1995 release of Casino marked another successful collaboration between director Martin Scorsese and actors Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci, resulting in a gripping crime drama. Set against the backdrop of the 1970s, the film follows the trials and tribulations of gambling whizz Sam ‘Ace’ Rothstein (De Niro), who is tasked by the Chicago mafia to oversee operations at the Tangiers Casino in Las Vegas.
As the narrative unfolds, we witness Ace grappling with the challenges of managing the casino under mafia influence and the disintegration of his marriage to former showgirl and hustler Ginger McKenna (Sharon Stone), all due to his demanding profession.
Pesci delivers a stellar performance as Nicky Santoro, Ace’s childhood friend and mafia affiliate, who also has a hand in the casino’s dealings. The plot draws heavily from real-life events, with Ace’s character modelled on Frank Lawrence ‘Lefty’ Rosenthal, a sports gambler, mafia associate, and FBI informant.
Complementing the striking cinematography, Casino boasts an unforgettable pop soundtrack featuring hits like Nilsson’s Without You, Love Is the Drug by Roxy Music, Little Richard’s Slippin’ and Slidin’, and Fleetwood Mac’s Go Your Own Way, among others.
Casino earned numerous award nominations, including nods at the Oscars and Golden Globes. It drew comparisons to the acclaimed Goodfellas, cementing its status as a beloved classic in the gangster genre.
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Casino is streaming on ITVX and Prime Video for a fee
