In that sense the filmmakers do parallel this nicely to the old wild west. The theme of opportunity is prevalent throughout especially in scenes regarding Nicky Santora (Joe Pesci), who constantly alludes to carving out his slice of the Vegas pie. The film pushes the romance and glamour of Las Vegas, and to a certain extent, a sullied version of the great American dream. If Goodfellas is the quintessential mafia movie then Casino is the echo of that. Directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Robert De Niro, Sharon Stone and Joe Pesci, it loosely follows the vaguely true story of a Jewish American handicapper and his day-to-day running of a Casino for the mob. It is based on the nonfiction book Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas.
This classic from 1995 is a ripe old age but has it stood the test of time?Ĭasino has been described as an epic crime drama but I’d go as far to call it an alternate reality sequel to Goodfellas.
I’m going to do my best to review Casino without mentioning its spiritual predecessor and older sibling : Goodfellas.
