Casinos often make a luxurious and regal setting for many high-end Hollywood movie scenes. Today, we will be exploring the best casino films of all time. We will be covering a range of different eras and legendary directors.
We will also dive into each film and find out exactly what made them so impressive at the time. From James Bond right up to Martin Scorsese’s films, there are many casino-themed films that are considered classics in any era.
The setting for these films was a lot different than what we see today. Digital casinos now dominate the landscape. Comeon.com, for example, is one of the top digital casinos where you can play all the games you can find online.
However, back then, this wasn’t the case. Casinos, specifically those in Las Vegas, were extremely profitable money laundering instruments for sophisticated criminal organizations such as the Mafia.
Casino (1995)
Starting with the most iconic casino film ever made, Martin Scorsese’s 1995 film was highly acclaimed upon its release. Starring Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci, the film centers around Sam Rothstein, a fictional casino manager at the height of the mafia’s power in Las Vegas.
The film depicts the power struggles during this time, and includes an iconic performance from Sharon Stone. Like all of Martin Scorsese’s films, the soundtrack is impeccable. That is one of the driving factors behind the film ending up on our list today.
The combination of De Niro, Joe Pesci and Martin Scorsese is a winning combination that has proven to be a successful film recipe for over 50 years. This was apparent even in their most recent collaboration, The Irishman.
We don’t want to give too much away, but if you are squeamish, then we wouldn’t recommend this film. It is a Martin Scorsese film, so what else could you expect?
Casino Royale (2006)
Daniel Craig’s first outing as James Bond was a highly acclaimed role. This isn’t the first time Casino Royale was turned into a film; however, it was the first time Daniel Craig appeared in his iconic role as 007.
Although the film has the title Casino Royale, the film is much more than that. The poker scene where Bond faces off against the main villain Le Chiffre is one of the iconic scenes that we have come to expect over the years from Ian Fleming’s legendary character.
There was a time when Pierce Brosnan’s James Bond films were not warmly received, so Sam Mendes discarded the old look and added a new layer to James Bond.
While this character still had all the old attributes that made the original special agent one of Britain’s greatest fictional exports, he had an emotional layer that was not always apparent in many other films, especially in Sean Connery’s depictions.
It reinvigorated a franchise that had released a few below-average instalments. It breathed new life into the movies and created a 21st century version of James Bond. This was so successful that fans eagerly await hearing the news about Craig’s predecessor.
Ocean’s Eleven (2001)
As one of the biggest ensemble films of the century, this film stars Julia Roberts, Brad Pitt, George Clooney and Matt Damon. It also features several other big Hollywood names.
The film’s premise is based on a previously successful film from 1960. No stone was left unturned for this particular film, as you can tell by the star cast. George Clooney plays an ex-criminal with a plan to steal money from the vault of a Las Vegas casino. His ex-wife’s new partner owns the casino.
Las Vegas casinos are infamous for their security. Many have protection far exceeding the security you can find at some of the world’s biggest banks. Ocean’s 11 did take some liberties in parts to create a compelling story.
Although it wasn’t considered a classic then, it is a film that lives and breathes the casino genre. With such a star-studded cast and with so many in their prime, the film deserves a mention on our list today.
Conclusion
Las Vegas provides a suitable backdrop for many movies based around casinos and gambling, among other activities. Today, we have only scratched the surface of some of the top casino films that have been made.
As you can see, some of these films stretch back nearly 30 years and have stood the test of time very well.
There is always room for improvement in these genres though. Who knows whether a classic casino film will be on the horizon within the next few years and replace one of the above films?
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