What’s it rated? R
When? 1995
Where’s it showing? Friday,
Aug. 15, 7:15 p.m. at the Palm Theatre of San Luis Obispo
Director and co-writer Martin Scorsese knows his way around a mob picture, and in this sprawling story that takes place over more than a decade, we see Chicago sport handicapper Sam “Ace” Rothstein (Robert De Niro) given his big break when the mafia sends him to Las Vegas to take charge of the Tangiers Casino. He soon doubles the casino’s profitability, skimming the extra cash to deliver to his mob bosses.
We follow Ace as his childhood friend, mob enforcer Nicky Santoro (Joe Pesci), is also sent to Vegas to protect the mob’s interests. Ace eventually meets and falls for con artist and showgirl Ginger McKenna (Sharon Stone, in an Oscar-nominated performance), and they have a daughter together, but Ginger’s former pimp and boyfriend Lester Diamond (James Woods at his smarmiest) raises tensions, as does Nicky’s extracurricular criminal activities. Naturally, the FBI is soon investigating the Tangiers.
With a stellar cast and amazing performances, the characters are compelling, albeit not very sympathetic, but Scorsese’s direction is assured. Bloody and violent, with an amazing soundtrack, this 1995 masterpiece deserves to be seen on the big screen. Stone’s performance alone is worth the price of admission. She’s intense! (103 min.) Ī
This article appears in Aug 14-24, 2025.