"Casino"*** 1\2 (out of ****)
"The heart wants what it wants. There's no logic to these things. You meet someone and you fall in love and that's that."
Woody Allen
Why am I quoting Woody Allen? And why this particular quote in relation to, of all things, a Martin Scorsese film. And not just any Martin Scorsese film, but his mafia themed "Casino" (1995).
"Casino" is as much a love story as it is a story of the mafia and Las Vegas. The film is operating on both levels. The root problem for the characters in Scorsese's film comes back to the Woody Allen quote - "the heart wants what it wants". The other quote that describes these characters goes back to my childhood and my mother. Whenever I would get in trouble my mother would disappointingly tell me, "I should know better". Where were these characters' mothers to tell them, "they should know better"?
The first image we see in "Casino" is of "Ace" Rothstein (Robert De Niro). He is walking out of a building while he begins narrating. He says "when you love someone, you've got to trust them. There's no other way." As he finishes this thought he sits in his car, turns on the ignition, and we see the car explode. Flames appear on-screen as a silhouette of "Ace" falls from the sky. The credits begin. The flames dissolve into neon lights. By the end of the credits flames appear again with "Ace" falling into them. Is this "Ace" falling from grace into hell? Do the neon lights represent Las Vegas? Is this "sin city" another hell on earth?
What a strange contradiction to hear a character talk about trust and then create the impression they have exploded in their car. I am reminded of Scorsese earlier mob film, "GoodFellas" (1990). A narrator says he always wanted to be a gangster while we see a man inside of a car trunk being killed. Was the car explosion the act of a jealous lover? Or something completely unrelated?
Just within the first few minutes of "Casino" and the opening credits viewers should know they are about to see a sort of morality play. Characters falling from grace into fire.
"Ace" is a gambling handicapper, maybe the best. Through connections not disclosed, he is able to make the mafia a lot of money through his bets. For that they like him. As long as he keeps passing on the tips and everyone makes money, "Ace" will be a protected man. As a reward the mafia has chosen him to head their casino venture in Las Vegas, the Tangiers.
As "Ace" tells the story he describes it as a "paradise" for guys like him. Anywhere else he would be arrested for what he was doing but in Las Vegas he is a respected man. Some people even call him sir. But if there is a paradise there must be a hell. And hell surrounds this paradise, "at night" "Ace" says "you couldn't see the desert that surrounds Las Vegas". The desert is where a lot of bodies have been buried. It is a constant reminder of just how bad things can go. Death is all around.
For roughly the first 45 minutes of "Casino" it plays as a documentary. Based on the book "Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas" by Nicholas Pileggi, the movie knows the ins and outs of Las Vegas in the 1970s. It knows where the bodies are buried in the desert. And that inside information makes for a riveting beginning to Scorsese's story. We know how a casino gets started, where the money comes from, who is the front for what organization controlled by the mafia. We understand what goes in a a count room, where all the money is counted. We find out how it leaves the casino and gets to the mafia bosses in the Mid-West.
Along this journey we meet several characters but two stick out. An old friend of "Ace" and a "made" man himself, Nicky Santoro (Joe Pesci) and a high class prostitute and hustler, Ginger (Sharon Stone), the woman "Ace" falls in love with. It would seem to be the perfect arrangement but they would all fall victim to the bright lights of Las Vegas and their foolish hearts.
Knowing how a casino operates and who is really in charge of Vegas, "Ace" calls the town a place were dreams were sold for cash. "We (the casino) are the only winners, players don't stand a chance". Of course this may all be foreshadowing "Ace", Nicky and Ginger, players who thought they could beat the house.
The first time "Ace" sees Ginger she is shooting dice for a wealthy guy. She eventually craps out and asks the man for her share. When she feels the man is not offering a fair share of the winnings she throws his chips in the air for greedy hands to steal. This is when the narration tells us "Ace" fell in love with Ginger. And again, we are foreshadowing the characters. Ginger is a woman that is after money and wants her "fair share".
Just as in gambling "Ace" believes he has all the angles figured out. He knows what type of woman Ginger is and how to make a woman like that happy and yet he bets on the long-shot and proposes to her. Ginger doesn't love "Ace" and tells him as much and yet she agrees after he promises her she will get her "fair share" if things don't work out. She will be taken care of. Of course the marriage proposal sounds like a business transaction.
But is "Ace" like the gamblers he describes that can't bet low and eventually must up the stakes? He says those guys don't see it as losing money but gaining a fortune. Is "Ace" gaining a fortune in Ginger? He believes he can change her but he forgot the cardinal rule - the house always wins.
Ginger's heart belongs to a low-life pimp drug addict, Lester (James Woods). Why would a woman that seems so successful waste her time with a man that is unable to provide for her and offer the life she wants? Why would a street smart hustler fall for a con man? Are "Ace" and Ginger opposite sides of the same coin? But, what can you do, the heart wants what it wants.
With its tragic love story playing out, Nicky decides he wants to become to new boss of Vegas. As he sees it, Las Vegas is untouched, there is money to be made shaking down bookies, drug addicts and gamblers. Best of all, the Mid-West bosses have no idea what he will be up to. Nicky believes he has created a bullet proof system. But, again, he forgot the house always wins.
"Casino" has received a mixed reception from fans and movie critics (sheep). It was one of the few times critics were negative of Scorsese. Many believed Scorsese and Pileggi went over similar material in "GoodFellas". Even if that was true, so what? These are much different movies."Casino" has more of an epic feel. But that epic feel may be its downfall. At three hours "Casino" goes on a bit too long. You probably could have told this story in two hours. Structurally the movie seems to go in circles at times. Repeating itself over and over.
De Niro and Pesci may also be seen in similar roles to their "GoodFellas" characters. I don't quite agree, but, must say Sharon Stone is probably the standout from the trio. She would go on to receive a Golden Globe nomination for her performance and an Academy Award nomination. It would be the only nomination the movie received, once again shutting Scorsese out.
I've had a back and forth relationship with "Casino". I was 12 years old when my father took me to see it (he should have known better) and I loved it. I saw it years later and thought it was merely OK. On a third viewing I felt it was a stronger movie than "GoodFellas" and qualified as one of Scorsese's masterpieces. Fourth, fifth and sixth viewings have not reflected that overwhelming appreciation I once felt. Today I see "Casino" as an entertaining movie with flaws. Worth watching but not quite one of Scorsese's best.
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