What makes a perfect shot? Make De Niro smoke a cigarette and take it in slow-mo...
Introduction
This 7th collaboration with Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro is often overshadowed by their other classic works like Goodfellas, raging bull, and the Taxi driver. It might not be the pair's finest work but the film is unforgettable for its canny portrayal of the gambling world which rode along inside conflict and humor. A movie about a very resembling mafia of the Scorsese universe who is asked to run a casino. The film changes course when his friendship with Nicky leads to animosity and his relation with lover ginger becomes unsettling which leads to a very interesting ending.
Story &Screenplay
The screenplay is inspired by the book Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas. This was screenplay writer Nicholas Pileggi's second collaboration with Scorsese after Goodfellas. The fill doesn't have a single dull moment and the screenplay is the clear winner for it. The intense conversation under the scorching heat of the desert; the Ace( De Nero) rising to power. You get the good old Goodfellas vibes, 20 minutes down you see Joe Pesci's character bashing some skulls! To a drastic change in character arc by the end of the second act. Scorsese movies are known for dialogues that get pinned to cult lines forever, well this one had it in abundance. The movie had a broad perspective about casinos. It just wasn't a cliché man's rise to power in the casino world-based story but how does the entire booby trap function with well-pitched characters.
2. Cast
These were the times when you could never imagine a Scorsese movie without Bob(Robert) De Niro and Joe Pesci. The pair have great chemistry whenever we see them on screen. It was mentioned many of those long takes were improvised by the actors. For De Niro, it was a redemption role after Goodfellas where he was clearly overshadowed by Ray Liotta's banger of a performance! but this was something pinning his scope as an actor. Joe Pesci pulled his part off with ease and perfection. But, the biggest breakthrough performance was of Sharon Stone portraying Ginger. She rightfully deserved the Bafta for best actor in a leading role female. The conflicts, the constant feeling of dominance which changed through the film have just pulled a level high by their performance.
3. Direction & Music
This 3 hours long movie is made in a such way that it gets better with time. There is a certain bit of to and fro in the timeline which adds to the tension in the film. But, again and again, Scorsese'sthe unique take on the direction of the story being narrated by the actors in the background just works like fine wine. The settings, the costume, and the ambiance, in general, make you want to explore these gambling backdrops of the 90s. The perfect blend of rock and jazz was the right fit for the movie. The editing was tight and those 180min don't seem long. This is not his best work but still falls under the category of classics.
Conclusion: The film deserves to be watched! it is flawless in almost every aspect of filmmaking. It's just that Scorsese's legacy is more than great so some of his enticing works get hidden... watch it now!
Available on Netflix.