Goodfellas is one of the greatest crime/gangster movies ever made. What makes the story all the more interesting, is the fact that it is based on a true story. It tells the story of ex-gangster Henry Hill, and shows three decades of his involvement in the mob. Scorsese's direction is perfect here, and the two and a half hour running length leaves you wanting more.
As Henry says, "As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster." We first see Henry as a kid, and the way he idolizes the gangster life from early on. As he begins to move up in the ranks, he becomes more cold and as he gets older, the mob influence takes over every aspect of his life. His marriage, family and personal life all take a toll, and he gets himself in deeper than he could have ever imagined.
This is one of the most interesting true stories I've ever seen put to film, and the majority of the credit should be given to Scorsese. The editing and cinematography are marvellous, and the images represented are bold and colourful.
Joe Pesci won an Oscar for his brutal portrayal of gangster Tommy DeVito, and his win is one of the most deserving supporting wins of the past 25 years. Every scene with him commands every bit of the viewers' attention, as his behaviour is both entertaining and unpredictable. Ray Liotta is perfect as lead Henry Hill, and Robert DeNiro and Lorraine Bracco provide worthy supporting turns. But as great as the acting is, it's almost secondary to the interesting story and beautiful direction.
Goodfellas will show up on nearly every "Best of the 90s" list, and justly so. It represents one of the greatest achievements in film of the decade and, for the most part, all-time. This is one of the three great films made by Scorsese over the course of three decades (along with Taxi Driver of the 70s and Raging Bull of the 80s). And it can be said that this is indeed his crowning achievement.
© 2007 Kim Bartlett
As Henry says, "As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster." We first see Henry as a kid, and the way he idolizes the gangster life from early on. As he begins to move up in the ranks, he becomes more cold and as he gets older, the mob influence takes over every aspect of his life. His marriage, family and personal life all take a toll, and he gets himself in deeper than he could have ever imagined.
This is one of the most interesting true stories I've ever seen put to film, and the majority of the credit should be given to Scorsese. The editing and cinematography are marvellous, and the images represented are bold and colourful.
Joe Pesci won an Oscar for his brutal portrayal of gangster Tommy DeVito, and his win is one of the most deserving supporting wins of the past 25 years. Every scene with him commands every bit of the viewers' attention, as his behaviour is both entertaining and unpredictable. Ray Liotta is perfect as lead Henry Hill, and Robert DeNiro and Lorraine Bracco provide worthy supporting turns. But as great as the acting is, it's almost secondary to the interesting story and beautiful direction.
Goodfellas will show up on nearly every "Best of the 90s" list, and justly so. It represents one of the greatest achievements in film of the decade and, for the most part, all-time. This is one of the three great films made by Scorsese over the course of three decades (along with Taxi Driver of the 70s and Raging Bull of the 80s). And it can be said that this is indeed his crowning achievement.
© 2007 Kim Bartlett
"I have" to live the rest of
ReplyDeletemy life like a schnook.