Casino (Movie Review)

Beneath the flashing lights and free drinks, casinos are built on a bedrock of mathematics, engineered to slowly bleed patrons of their money. Casinos know the odds of each game and can easily calculate a player’s mathematical expectancy of winning or losing. In games that require skill, like blackjack and poker, the house edge is relatively small if players learn basic strategy (basic card counting).

Craps and roulette, however, have a much higher house edge. The longer a player gambles, the more the odds will move in favor of the house. Casinos are aware of this, and to keep their big bettors playing, they often offer them extravagant inducements – free spectacular entertainment, elegant living quarters, reduced-fare transportation, and a host of other bonuses.

Scorsese doesn’t shy away from examining the dark underbelly of Vegas – or of any city built on vice. He tells the story at a high pace and with the energy that made Goodfellas such a success. He’s aided by a strong cast, especially Robert De Niro as the charismatic bookie Ace Rothstein and Sharon Stone as his drug-addicted trophy wife Ginger.

More than anything, though, it’s the script that makes Casino a winner. The dialogue is crisp, and there are loads of captivating themes – the way Ace pays attention to detail (“I’d rather have my cooks put exactly the same amount of blueberries in every muffin”), the false bedrock that his marriage was built off of, and Nicky’s scumbaggery, for example.