HBO Max has a film lineup that’s second to none, but it’s still slated to lose several beloved movies when the clock strikes midnight on August 31.
One of the soon-to-be departed selections is Casino, the 1995 crime epic by director Martin Scorsese, which is loosely based on the lives of real people.
Although this movie isn’t as revered as some of Scorsese’s earlier efforts, it’s another towering achievement for the filmmaker.
It’s also Watch With Us‘ pick for the one great HBO Max movie that you have to see before it leaves at the end of August.
It’s a ‘Goodfellas’ Reunion
Some directors would shy away from revisiting one of their most acclaimed hits. However, Scorsese put Casino together with two of his primary actors from Goodfellas, Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci. Nicholas Pileggi, who cowrote the screenplay for Goodfellas, also collaborated with Scorsese on this film, which was based on his nonfiction book, Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas.
Although both movies deal with organized crime, they have very different tones. Goodfellas celebrated the highs and lows of men who couldn’t control their darkest impulses. Conversely, Casino‘s vision of Las Vegas practically invites the worst aspects of every character to emerge, as greed and jealousy threaten lifelong friendships.
Robert De Niro Embraces a Different Kind of Criminal Persona
De Niro plays Sam “Ace” Rothstein, a man who was sent by the Chicago mob to run the Tangiers Casino while covertly sending the unreported profits back east. Several of De Niro’s earlier characters have been dependent upon his ability to act intimidating or threatening. Sam stands apart from those characters because his crimes don’t rely on violence, and he’s a showman at heart.
Sam thinks he’s got his casino under control, but even he’s seduced by the temptations of Vegas. He’s also so blinded by love that he marries a showgirl, Ginger McKenna (Sharon Stone), who clearly doesn’t feel the same way about him. Sam’s stint as a local TV host reveals an underlying desire to stay in the spotlight regardless of his employers’ wishes. If that sounds like a recipe for disaster, that’s because it is. Sam is capable of doing terrible things as well, yet he holds on to the audience’s sympathy throughout the movie.
‘Casino’ Captures the Glamorous and Dangerous Vibe of Las Vegas in the ’70s
One of Casino‘s greatest accomplishments is that it makes Las Vegas in the ’70s look like a lot of fun. There’s a larger-than-life quality to the city that’s missing in the modern era of Vegas. It feels dangerous and exciting because the mafia’s presence is a barely hidden secret. Sin City didn’t earn its nickname by accident, and it has a knack for bringing out the worst in everyone.
That’s especially true of Pesci’s Nicky Santoro. Before the film, Nicky and Sam were extremely close friends. But once Nicky is unleashed on Las Vegas, almost all of his criminal impulses threaten to tear down the thin layer of respectability that Sam brought to the casino. The deteriorating friendship between Sam and Nicky is perhaps the story’s tragic turn. It’s one thing for Ginger to betray Sam’s love and trust — she was always a snake. But when Sam and Nicky’s friendship is shattered, it feels like a real loss.
Casino also has terrific performances by the supporting cast, especially James Woods and the late Don Rickles. Their characters, Lester Diamond and Billy Sherbert, add to the mystique of Las Vegas even as Casino makes it clear that the city’s best days may be behind it.
Casino is streaming on HBO Max through August 31.
