<P> On the film's 50th anniversary, the Los Angeles Times called Casablanca's great strength "the purity of its Golden Age Hollywoodness (and) the enduring craftsmanship of its resonantly hokey dialogue". Bob Strauss wrote in the newspaper that the film achieved a "near - perfect entertainment balance" of comedy, romance, and suspense . </P> <P> According to Roger Ebert, Casablanca is "probably on more lists of the greatest films of all time than any other single title, including Citizen Kane" because of its wider appeal . Ebert opined that Citizen Kane is generally considered to be a "greater" film, but Casablanca is more loved . In his opinion, the film is popular because "the people in it are all so good", and it is "a wonderful gem". Ebert said that he has never heard of a negative review of the film, even though individual elements can be criticized, citing unrealistic special effects and the stiff character / portrayal of Laszlo . Critic Leonard Maltin considers Casablanca to be "the best Hollywood movie of all time ." </P> <P> Rick, according to Rudy Behlmer, is "not a hero...not a bad guy": he does what is necessary to get along with the authorities and "sticks his neck out for nobody". The other characters, in Behlmer's words, are "not cut and dried" and come into their goodness over the course of the film . Renault begins as a collaborator with the Nazis who extorts sexual favors from refugees and has Ugarte killed . Even Ilsa, the least active of the main characters, is "caught in the emotional struggle" over which man she really loves . By the end, however, "everybody is sacrificing ." Behlmer also emphasized the variety in the picture: "it's a blend of drama, melodrama, comedy (and) intrigue". </P> <P> A few reviewers have had reservations . To Pauline Kael, "It's far from a great film, but it has a special appealingly schlocky romanticism ..." Poet and critic Dan Schneider wrote that the work "does entertain, and is an interesting piece of Americana", but criticized it as a melodrama "driven by plot, not by character development . All the characters react to what the plot dictates to them; the plot does not organically flow from their personae ." Umberto Eco wrote that "by any strict critical standards...Casablanca is a very mediocre film ." He viewed the changes the characters undergo as inconsistent rather than complex: "It is a comic strip, a hotch - potch, low on psychological credibility, and with little continuity in its dramatic effects ." However, he added that due to the presence of multiple archetypes which allow "the power of Narrative in its natural state without Art intervening to discipline it", it is a movie reaching "Homeric depths" as a "phenomenon worthy of awe ." Casablanca holds a 97% "Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 77 reviews, with the consensus: "An undisputed masterpiece and perhaps Hollywood's quintessential statement on love and romance, Casablanca has only improved with age, boasting career - defining performances from Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman ." </P>

Louie this is the start of a beautiful friendship