1995, R, 178 min. Directed by Martin Scorsese. Starring Robert De Niro, Sharon Stone, Joe Pesci, James Woods, Don Rickles, Alan King, Kevin Pollak, L.Q. Jones.

Casino 1995 Robert De Niro Joe Pesci Sharon Stone Biography
Casino 1995 Robert De Niro Joe Pesci Sharon Stones

Watch the Casino movie trailer for the film starring Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci and Sharon Stone. Directed by Martin Scorcese, Casino tells the story of sports handicapper Frank 'Lefty' Rosenthal in mob-run Las Vegas during the 1970's. The movie Casino is about Sam 'Ace' Rothstein played by Robert De Niro. His character is based on Frank 'Lefty' Rosenthal who was a gambler and bookie. This movie has Joe Pesci as Nicky Santoro who is based on Chicago enforcer Anthony 'The Ant' Spilotro. This is the movie that was directed by Martin Scorsese after Goodfellas.

Casino 1995 robert de niro joe pesci sharon stone biography

REVIEWED By Marjorie Baumgarten, Wed., Nov. 22, 1995

That Martin Scorsese is one of the modern masters of cinema is a fact that is reiterated through each of his movies. He always struggles to find new strategies for seeing beneath the surface of things and for new approaches to the telling of stories. Casino, however, cannot be viewed as one of Scorsese’s masterpieces. Yet, while certainly less than successful, I’m reluctant to call it a failure. Because, then, I’d have to revoke my love relationship with the film’s spectacular opening sequence (let’s just say it begins with a magnificent bang). The term “failure” would also negate the novelty of certain shots and scenes, like the overhead shot of Las Vegas that presents the city as a mecca of light in an otherwise barren sea of darkness. Leave it to Scorsese to expose the Vegas gestalt in a new and original manner. Eye-opening material like this is peppered throughout the movie. Then, of course, it is always a pleasure to watch De Niro at work, especially when at work in a juicy role like that of Sam “Ace” Goldstein, the Mob’s consummate bookie chosen by the bosses to front their “legit” Vegas casino. Believing in De Niro as a Jew is a bit of a stretch, however he’s good enough that you don’t dwell on how you can take the goy out of Little Italy but …. Better than watching De Niro work alone is the pleasure of watching De Niro working a scene with Joe Pesci, who is cast as Nicky Santoro, the New York muscle brought in to smooth over the casino’s inevitable rough spots. And to answer the question on everyone’s lips – Can Sharon Stone cut it? – well, yes and no. She fares better than any of her previous work might have led you to expect, but no one will ever mistake her for an acting giant. The problems with her characterization can largely be laid at the feet of Scorsese, a filmmaker whose body of work has never evidenced much sensitivity toward his female characters. For every Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore and Boxcar Bertha there are dozens of Johnny Boys and Travis Bickles roaming the Mean Streets, dividing women up into the virtuous and the fallen. Stone’s top-of-the-heap casino hustler could be a fascinating character, but in Casino she is simply there to be the object of Scorsese’s affections and subsequent scorn. The story is about what it is like for Ace living with her and living without her; not the other way around. Scorsese depicts the boys’ clubs, whether the movie is The Last Temptation of Christ, The Last Waltz, The Color of Money, Cape Fear or GoodFellas. And speaking of GoodFellas, that movie may just be the source of many of Casino’s shortfalls. Casino reminds you in too many ways of the brilliance of GoodFellas, and in a way that dooms Casino to remain in its shadow. It more than just the resonant re-pairings of De Niro and Pesci and novelist/co-scriptwriter Nicholas Pileggi and Scorsese. Structurally, it tries to ape the climactic build-up of GoodFellas, but never quite blasts off as the climax of GoodFellas so viscerally does. Casino never really seems to have a point, and in a movie just a couple minutes shy of three hours, that really becomes a palpable problem. As a whole, the movie does not crap out at the table, but neither does it come up with a fistful of dollars.

Casino 1995 robert de niro joe pesci sharon stone dailymotion

When Martin Scorsese announced his Mob-in-Vegas drama Casino in the mid-’90s, there was a distinct feeling of déjà vu , particularly as he was teaming up once again with GoodFellas writer Nicholas Pileggi on the project. But then the director himself voiced the concerns of many when he noted about the ’70s-set drama, ‘This story has to be on a big canvas. It has to be about America. Otherwise, why make another mob story? I couldn’t care less.’

With a cast that features Scorsese regulars Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci, the Oscar-nominated Sharon Stone and a group of entertainers who actually performed in Las Vegas in the ’70s (Alan King, Don Rickles, Steve Allen), Casino is an expert examination of small town wise guys who find heaven on earth before frittering it all away.

De Niro stars as Sam ‘Ace’ Rothstein, a top bookie who finds himself enlisted by the Mob to run the Tangiers casino in Vegas. Determined to do things correctly (ie the Mob’s way), he turns the casino into a tremendous success. There are three problems on the horizon, however: Ace’s run-ins with the Gaming Control Board that oversees the Vegas casinos; the appearance of a psychotic old friend, Nicky Santoro (Pesci), who is determined to muscle in on the action; and a beautiful hustler, Ginger McKenna (Stone), with whom Ace falls in love. All three will contribute to Ace’s spectacular downfall.

production details
USA | 179 minutes | 1995

Casino 1995 Robert De Niro Joe Pesci Sharon Stone Biography

Director: Martin Scorsese
Script: Martin Scorsese, Nicholas Pileggi

cast
Robert De Niro as Sam ‘Ace’ Rothstein
Sharon Stone as Ginger McKenna
Joe Pesci as Nicky Santoro
James Woods as Lester Diamond
Don Rickles as Billy Sherbert
Alan King as Andy Stone
Kevin Pollak as Phillip Green
Pasquale Cajano as Remo Gaggi
L.Q. Jones as Pat Webb
Dick Smothers as Sénateur
Frank Vincent as Frank Marino
Oscar Goodman as Oscar Goodman
Richard Riehle as Charlie Clark
Catherine Scorsese as Mme Piscano
Vinny Vella as Artie Piscano
Nobu Matsuhisa as Ichikawa
Erika von Tagen as Amy
Nick Mazzola as Black Jack-Groupier
David Rose as David
John Bloom as Don Ward
Joseph Rigano as Vincent Borelli
Philip Suriano as Dominick Santoro
Melissa Prophet as Jennifer Santoro
Bill Allison as John Nance
Joe La Due as Signaller
Joseph P. Reidy as Winner
Craig Vincent as Cowboy
Carl Ciarfalio as Tony Dogs
Gene Ruffini as Vinny Forlano
Dominick Grieco as Americo Capelli
Clem Caserta as Sal Fusco
Daniel P. Conte as Doctor Dan
Joey DePinto as Stabbed Gambler
Jack Orend as Baker
Paul Herman as Gambler in Phone Booth
Jed Mills as Jack Hardy
Claudia Haro as Trudy
Ffolliott Le Coque as Anna Scott
John Manca as Wiseguy Eddie
Ronald Maccone as Wiseguy Jerry
Joseph Bono as Moosh
Frank Adonis as Rocky
Anthony Russell as Bookie
Stuart Nisbet as LA Banker
Alfred Nittoli as Chastised Gambler

1995, R, 178 min. Directed by Martin Scorsese. Starring Robert De Niro, Sharon Stone, Joe Pesci, James Woods, Don Rickles, Alan King, Kevin Pollak, L.Q. Jones.

REVIEWED By Marjorie Baumgarten, Wed., Nov. 22, 1995

Casino 1995 Robert De Niro Joe Pesci Sharon Stone Biography

Casino 1995 Robert De Niro Joe Pesci Sharon Stones

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