Casino (Movie Review)

A casino is a place where people can gamble and win money. This can be done by playing slot machines or table games like blackjack and roulette. People can also choose to play card games such as poker or baccarat. These games require skill and luck, and the outcome of the game depends on a combination of both. Aside from the gambling, some casinos offer other amenities such as food and drinks.

The story of Casino begins with mobster Frank Rosenthal, the owner of the Stardust hotel in Las Vegas. He has been ensnared in illegal gambling charges and seeks refuge with his mob-backed casino operator Sam “Ace” Rothstein (Robert De Niro). Ace is trying to keep his rackets running while he falls for a dance hall girl named Ginger McKenna (Sharon Stone).

Scorsese opens the film with fast cuts that feel as much like an entertaining behind-the-scenes look at how a real casino works as it does a fictional movie about gangsters. Eventually, the narration gradually disappears from the film and Scorsese’s style evolves into something more conventional.

The film has a sense of nostalgia for the old Vegas days that was lost with its transformation into a family-friendly Disneyland. But unlike other epic crime dramas, Casino doesn’t shy away from showing the seedy underbelly of Vegas, which has long had ties to organized crime, and still has its hands in everything from politics to Teamsters unions and the Midwest mafia based out of Kansas City.