Reviews of GoodFellas

GOODFELLA Henry Hill Artwork BAMBOO Lounge ON FIR

Posted : 7 months, 2 weeks ago on 9 May 2009 04:46 (A review of GoodFellas)

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 Sorvino as Paul Cicero, and Joe Pesci as Tommy DeVito....Henry and his associate Tommy (played by Joe Pesci in a widely acclaimed and Academy Award-winning performance) conspire with Conway to steal some of the billions of dollars of cargo passing through Idlewild Airport (later JFK). They help out in a key moneymaking heist, stealing over half a million dollars from the Air France cargo terminal in 1967 and paying Cicero his percentage of the take as per the mafia's code of tribute

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Scorsese Masterpiece.

Posted : 8 months, 3 weeks ago on 4 April 2009 07:34 (A review of GoodFellas)

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. That didn't bug me at all though because the film is too good to be affected by it.

This movie tells the story of Henry Hill, played by a great actor in Ray Liotta. You get to see Hill becoming a gangster at an early age, and his life throughout 25 or so years. The way he was able to become so powerful and successful in such a short amount of time, really amazed me.

The cast was a powerhouse for this film, featuring Joe Pesci, Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro, and Frank Vincent. Wow were they excellent.

Scorsese really out did himself, and proved why he truly is the best Director in all of cinema (in my opinion of course). Goodfellas still, and always will remain as one of my all-time favorite films.

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GoodFellas review

Posted : 1 year, 7 months ago on 4 May 2008 10:31 (A review of GoodFellas)

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 obvious lack in acting didn't really help to enthrall me.

Still, for reasons mentioned at the beginning, this movie is good but not brilliant like it's IMDB-score would suggest. It is definitively one of the better Mafia movies out there, but in my opinion never reaches the best of this genre or Scorsese's portfolio.

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Engrossing gangster drama!

Posted : 1 year, 8 months ago on 25 April 2008 03:14 (A review of GoodFellas)

"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 becomes partners with gangsters Jimmy Conway (De Niro) and Tommy DeVito (Pesci). The film is a tale that follows this certain mafia family over the course of about 30 years; chronicling the rise and fall of Henry and his two counterparts.

Even with its 140-minute running time, GoodFellas is exceptionally told. The film encapsulates everything that should be present in the genre; strong characters, heavy profanity and lots of repulsive violence. Each performance is engaging and compelling with a smart script to boot.

The script is smart and enthralling. The whole film is told with outstanding voice-over narration that gets us into the mind of the character being portrayed.

This could be Robert De Niro's finest hour. His screen presence is brooding and unnerving. Because of his character's reputation there is good reason to fear him. De Niro plays Jimmy Conway as terrifying and intimidating.

Ray Liotta is a realistic gangster figure. At times his bitter anger seems very genuine. He spits out a tonne of profanity during the compelling drama that frequently occurs during the film's running time.

Joe Pesci pretty much stole the show. De Niro may be terrifying, but on the other hand Pesci is the epitome of sadistic gangsters. He frequently swears and cannot hold his temper. Whenever he's in a fit of rage it is quite menacing.

GoodFellas is a film that exposes gangsters for what they truly are - people who preach loyalties, respects and principles. But when it comes down to it they are just a bunch of two-bit criminals that will stab each other in the back for money, power or otherwise. They have an outward persona of being calm and tolerant. Underneath they are capable of incredible rage and are quite detestable people.

Martin Scorsese is very talented when he is at the helm of a mafia drama. His directing makes everything seem so authentic like it's actually happening. Of course this is the beauty of Scorsese's work - that nothing ever feels contrived or staged.

GoodFellas is an exceptional movie powered by remarkable performances and great directing. The R rating truly signifies the film's nature. The profanity levels are through the roof, the violence is off-putting, the experience is unnerving. But despite its ghastly nature the film is a brilliant mob drama. For aficionados of Scorsese or the genre, this is a must.

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best mafia movie

Posted : 2 years, 10 months ago on 5 February 2007 07:45 (A review of GoodFellas)

Better than The Godfather. Enough said.

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