Watched "Casino" again the weekend. Definitely not one of Scorsese's best.

I thought it was so-so as well. I actually liked the "how it's done" casino stuff the best. I also liked that many of the casino shots were filmed in Vegas' Riviera Hotel and Casino, which I've been in many times.

Pah! DeNiro! No, you need to watch ol' Geoff. Got some casino action in my movies too.

I'm a big non-fan of "Casino," which is meandering and only occasionally compellng. It's not exactly a stretch for Pesci, it's pretty much what he did in "Goodfellas" only with a flashier wardrobe.I had real problems with Sharon Stone's character. whose level of amorality and self-absorption was so totally apparent from the get-go that DeNiro's character, who was otherwise far from a idiot, had to an extreme idiot to be taken in by her.

A Big Nonfan wrote:

I had real problems with Sharon Stone's character. whose level of amorality and self-absorption was so totally apparent from the get-go that DeNiro's character, who was otherwise far from a idiot, had to an extreme idiot to be taken in by her.

... because that would certainly be the first time person who is "far from an idiot" gets taken in by a beautiful woman with serious flaws.

She was ALL serious flaws. She was "negotiating" from the moment they spoke to each other. And in Vegas, there are plenty of beautiful women. I will admit that my comments are somewhat based on my own extreme antipathy to her, but ... the poisoned relationship, which really reaches a Keystone Cops level of ludicrousness, just occupies way too much of the movie.

I agree that its not one of Scorsese's best. BUT, that still means its a really good movie by any other standard. I think its absurd how people dismiss this movie. If some no name Director made the same exact movie, everybody would say its a really good movie. But because its Scorsese, suddenly everybody gets self righteous about their standards of good movie making.

That said, it occurred to me some time back that Scorsese has had problems with the main characters doing voice over narrations in his movies. The one exception was Goodfellas where it worked great. But the narration in his other movies comes off a little awkward. It was that way in Casino, Wolf of Wall Street. There is another movie I can't remember where it didn't work well either.

I don't know what it is. Because the narration is kind of necessary to tell the story. But just the tone of the voice or the content doesn't come off well.

"Last Temptation of Christ" didn't have narration but he had Jesus' disciplices talking in Brooklyn accents. At the time that movie was panned only because of that (putting aside the religious controversy).

It insists upon itself.

What are you talking about? The movie is great.

I liked every part of it, its accurate and Scorsese made it that way.

Deniro was great too.