Casino (1995) Synopsis & Summary

Synopsis

The inner-workings of a corrupt Las Vegas casino are exposed in Martin Scorsese's story of crime and punishment. The film chronicles the lives and times of three characters: "Ace" Rothstein (Robert De Niro), a bookmaking wizard; Nicky Santoro (Joe Pesci), a Mafia underboss and longtime best friend to Ace; and Ginger McKenna (Sharon Stone, in a role she was born to play), a leggy ex-prostitute with a fondness for jewelry and a penchant for playing the field. Ace plays by the rules (albeit Vegas rules, which, as he reminds the audience in voiceover, would make him a criminal in any other state), while Nicky and Ginger lie, cheat, and steal their respective ways to the top. The film's first hour and a half details their rise to power, while the second half follows their downfall as the FBI, corrupt government officials, and angry mob bosses pick apart their Camelot piece by piece. - Jeremy Beday, All Movie Guide

Movie Info

Theatrical Release Date:
11/22/1995
DVD Release Date:
02/24/1998
Rating:
R
MPAA Reasons:
for strong brutal violence, pervasive strong language, drug use and some sexuality.
Run Time:
178 min.
Distributor(s):
Universal
Director(s):
Genre(s):
Themes:
Criminal's Revenge, Crumbling Marriages, Cons and Scams, Rise and Fall Stories
Tone:
Atmospheric, Harsh, Slick, Talky, Cynical, Sweeping
Keywords:
casino, double-cross, ex-prostitute, gambling, mob-boss, organized-crime, revenge
Time Period:
1970s-1980s
Language:
English
Status:
DVD