GoodFellas (1990)

Posted : 1 month, 3 weeks ago at May 9 16:46

In the film, Henry Hill, played by Ray Liotta, becomes involved in the mafia at a young age: as he says in the beginning of the film; "As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster." As a boy, Henry idolized the Lucchese crime family gangsters in his blue-collar, predominantly Italian New York City neighborhood in East New York, Brooklyn, and in 1955 quit school and went to work for them at a local cab stand. The local Lucchese mob capo, Paul Cicero (Paul Sorvino) (based on the actual Lucchese mobster Paul Vario) and Cicero's close associate Jimmy Conway (De Niro) (based on actual associate, Jimmy Burke) help cultivate the boy's developing criminal career. From left to right: Ray Liotta as Henry Hill, Robert De Niro as Jimmy "The Gent" Conway, Paul Sor...Read more

Posted : 3 months ago at Apr 4 19:34

Goodfellas was made back in 1990, and really is Scorsese at his best. My personal favorite movie is The Departed, so I will admit that this didn't quite stack up to it, but tons will disagree. It was rather difficult however to pick between the two. Scorsese has hit gold numerous times, and I noticed he's really into recreating true stories. The Aviator, Raging Bull, and Casino are just a few to note. Goodfellas falls into that category, but brings a bit more to the table. There are quite a few aspects that were created by Scorsese. For example, the Billy Batts scene was altered minorly with the shoe shining part being false. Tommy Devito (Pesci) really did have a rough past with Batts (Vincent), but not relating to shoes at all. You need to add something to make it more hollywood-like....Read more

Rating : 10/10

Posted : 8 months, 1 week ago at Oct 28 20:17

This ranks as number one or two for greatest mob movie ever made. Everything about it is amazing, and fun to watch over and over. Great movie.

full rating: 9.5/10

Posted : 9 months, 4 weeks ago at Sep 9 18:00

Roger Ebert was correct in assessing that this is the best mob movie ever. The Godfather is really the epic storyline of a family involved in the mafia and one son's decline into darkness and eventual spiritual awakening and search for forgiveness (ok, so, that was the entire trilogy in a sentence). Goodfellas is just about the mob. And, not-so-shockingly, it's like having a normal job in some corporation. You start low, work your way to middle management, and eventually get a promotion. Or you can branch off with support from people that followed your growth within the corporation. I would say that it's all so mundane, but the neurotic performance from Bracco, the twitchy, nervous one from De Niro, and the sadistic killer from Pesci keeps things moving. Not to mention the amount of violen...Read more

Posted : 1 year, 2 months ago at May 4 10:31

GoodFellas is certainly well directed, has some very good supporting characters and a great score. Nonetheless the story which is loosely based on the rise and fall of the real existing Henry Hill didn't catch me for most of the time. The portrayal of the Mafia was almost like they are a poker club for older men, occasionally stealing some money from the dumb. I really missed the constant menace like in The Godfather or the epic of Once Upon A Time In America. The movie was too lighthearted for my fancy. Sure, it had some hints of black comedy, which is always a bonus for me, but the film didn't captivate me. I never really cared for any of the characters, mostly because they were way too one-dimensional or underdeveloped. Also Ray Liotta was a bad choice for the main character. His obv...Read more

Rating : 7/10

Posted : 1 year, 2 months ago at Apr 25 3:14

"As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster." Martin Scorsese is a director who will always be remembered for a long list of classic mob dramas. The beginning of his career was marked with the brilliant Taxi Driver. Since then, Scorsese has continued to produce great quality work. It's a rare occasion if he produces a faulty product. GoodFellas is arguably Scorsese's best film to date; this slick, fast-paced crime drama is engrossing, captivating and riveting. Before GoodFellas many had regarded The Godfather to be the best mob drama in existence. Since the release of this film, that statement continues to spark debate. GoodFellas is based on the true story about a gangster named Henry Hill (Liotta). As a teenage local boy Henry becomes part of the mafia. He...Read more

Rating : 9/10

Posted : 2 years, 5 months ago at Feb 5 7:45

Better than The Godfather. Enough said.

Rating : 9/10