Casino Is Better Than Goodfellas
There’s nothing wrong with gathering a group of friends around the bar for a good-natured debate about which movie is better, say Goodfellas or Casino. It’s just that if the topic of discussion becomes too long, it may become tedious to hear rebuttal after rebuttal about how Lorraine Bracco deserved an Oscar in Goodfellas or how Joe Pesci should have won for Casino.
But there’s a simple solution to that problem: bring up the fact that Casino is better than Goodfellas, and watch the light bulbs start to turn on in your friends’ heads. They’ll probably make snarky comments about how Goodfellas is more rewatchable, but they will also admit that Casino is an excellent film.
What makes Casino so good is that it takes many of the same themes and characters from Goodfellas, but elevates them. While Goodfellas told the story of mob-backed gangsters, Casino tells the story of the people who controlled those mobsters, a much more complicated and layered tale of betrayal and destruction.
The opening sequence, with its fast cuts and stylized documentary-like footage, sets the tone for the film. Scorsese’s style evolves gradually, moving from a near-documentary to something more conventional as the movie goes on.
Casino is a non-stop ride of action, drama and characterization. The cast is led by Robert De Niro and Sharon Stone in what is easily their best work. The supporting players are all exceptional, especially the late Don Rickles as the sulking boss of the Stardust casino and Kevin Pollak as a wise-cracking hitman.