Casino is a classic tale of greed, corruption and betrayal. The story of Sam “Ace” Rothstein (Robert De Niro) and his fall from the top of Vegas mob power is told in a style that is at once entertaining and disturbing.

Casino takes place at a fictional Las Vegas casino, based on the Stardust hotel and casino in the early 90s. The film follows a former mobster turned casino owner who is forced to set up a front with the help of hooker/hustler Ginger McKenna (Sharon Stone). As they start to succeed in Vegas, their relationships with other mobsters and business associates unravel – all the while a gangster from the east continues to threaten them.

As with most Martin Scorsese movies, the film uses a lot of narration and stylized fast-cuts to give a pseudo-documentary feel to the movie at first. This is used very effectively in the opening scenes, but eventually, as the movie progresses, the narration is cut down significantly and the style becomes more conventional.

The cast of Casino is excellent, but it’s Sharon Stone who steals the show with her performance as a femme fatale with an addiction to luxury and money. She is the kind of woman that men lust after and are afraid to tame. Her dynamic with the more refined Sam Rothstein is one of the highlights of the film. They are constantly betrayed by each other and it’s the story of how that happens that makes Casino compelling.