MovieChat Forums > Casino (1995) Discussion > Goodfellas Vs Casino (and reasons why Ca...

Goodfellas Vs Casino (and reasons why Casino is nowhere near as good)...

posted 9 months ago by GenoWashingline (826)
4 replies | jump to latest

I am just rewatching Casino now for the first time in years, I remember quite liking it, but never thought it was a "great"movie...

I am 65 minutes in and just finding it a bit tedious, so though I would take a break to compare the two movies....I will finish watching Casino and add a bit to this post, but here's my initial thoughts on that first 65 minutes...

1. Goodfellas is just such an instant classic, and deservedly gets in many people top ten movies if all time.
Part of the reason for this is I don't think a movie had ever been directed (and particularly edited) in such a way...it was really kinetic and in your face....and it really works, it really pulls you in and holds you through the whole movie.

But then Casino comes along 5 years later, and tries to be even more kinetic and in your face...BUT it over does it this time...

2. This first 15 minutes of Casino... feels like so much is wrong with this style... it jumps around all.over the place...and also the Joe Pesci voiceover is really jarring, it's really odd....I think because he is such a dislikeable character you don't want to listen to him

3. The constant changes in the soundtrack, and often only very short clips of a song, and they don't really feel.like they add much to the scenes in most cases.

[–] SandyR (7744) 9 months ago

I think Casino has more in common with Age of Innocence than Goodfellas.

[–] JosephQCat (706) 9 months ago

I think that Goodfellas is more relatable to most people because it looks at the mob from the street level therefore more popular. Casino looks at the mob from the penthouse which most people have difficulty relating to. Here in the East the mob was present not only in NYC and Philly but for sure in any city of 100,000 people or more. Even smaller cities such as Canastota, NY and Batavia, NY where they fed off of the racetracks there by providing gambling and loansharking. My wife's cousin was collection muscle for the mob for those activities.

[–] BKB (7323) 9 months ago

This is basically apples & oranges folks. CASINO is more about the story of Old Vegas and the Mob running it and GOODFELLAS is more about the Mob & Family.. A better comparison really would be The GODFATHER..

[–] JosephQCat (706) 9 months ago

Yeah, but both were highly based on real life people. Also, the mafia in Goodfellas does not greatly reflect the NYC mafia of today. Things were never more open and free wheeling than they were from the 1950's through 1980.