For years I have been telling T how much I disliked this movie, without even having had the decency to watch it. When I suggested we take it on several days ago, T was shocked but willing to let me watch it as long as I was a good girl and didn't complain. I told him I would be good, as long as we were allowed to watch it in several sittings. Thus, a deal was struck.
And, I'll be the first to admit it, I was wrong.
I liked Casino. For the first hour, I kept waiting around to discover what the central plot of the film was going to be. Once I learned that the action was set around a decade, not just a few key events, I eased off a little and just let Ace or Nicky tell me where they wanted the deal to go.
To get over a really too straightforward narrative, the film opens with an explosion and then backtracks twenty years, letting the events unfold leading up to that moment. Not exactly original, but useful enough for the viewer, who now has a marker to look for several hours later, when the film begins to wind down. The "perspective" of the film, which shows events while they are narrated by Ace or Nicky, is inconsistent. The back and forth style is by no means trying to be "he said/she said", as the camera angles and style of shooting doesn't change based on who is doing the voiceover. This keeps a sense of omniscience which I think is kind of confusing with the multiple narrators. Are we seeing things as they are, or as they are remembered or told?
We know we can't trust either character to "tell us the truth". Ace constantly blames Nicky, and vice versa, as they point to events and problems that first elevate them, and then shatter their success. At one point, another guy has a minor voice over... and for me, that blew it entirely. They need to find explore some other ways of expressing interiority for that character. Too many cooks, if you know what I mean.
Most notable, in my opinion, is the role Sharon Stone plays as Ginger. While a fascinating character at the beginning of the film, she quite quickly becomes one dimensional. Her status as a top swindler and prostitute is glorified by Ace, who really sees her as a woman with exceptional talent and beauty. I was excited to watch her help build up the empire and continue to surprise us... But instead she sells out to Ace for some jewelry, and is just a pathetic, unhappy loser for the rest of the film. Her drug use is somewhat downplayed in terms of screen time, but her consistent coked-out fits show the after effects of her extensive drug and alcohol abuse. Her screaming is so irritating... but I really felt like it made the performance. She acted the way I would project that the wife of a gangster might act. Her affair with Nicky was both disgusting and the icing on the cake. It was clear she had completely lost her edge, and was no longer capable of being top of her field (if she ever was to begin with).
I found it interesting that both Nicky and Ace really emphasized their children as a priority, far more than their wives. The idea of family in gang culture, of maintaining solidarity at all costs... was something I really hadn't thought that much about. I liked that Nicky cooked his son breakfast every morning. And, I liked that Ace was happy to let Ginger go, as long as she left his daughter alone. I figured there would be a gender divide... but it seemed that the divide seemed to prioritize children and de-prioritize spouses, not prioritize men and de-prioritize women.
One last thing: I hate Joe Pesci's grading voice throughout this film. It made me want to hurt somebody. But, I suppose that is how he was supposed to sound and be. I was kind of glad when he was bludgeoned to the point of death and buried alive. And that isn't a very nice thing to say!
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