Review of GoodFellas (1990) by Simon H — 06 Jun 2014

Often seen as one of Scorsese's best films, Goodfellas is exactly what you expect from a gangster film. Taken from a true story, Scorsese uses notes from actual individuals involved to get the story and environment as truthful as possible. Even which hand they would hold cigarettes were researched. The script is well written with dialogue that can only be spoken out loud by gangsters. The characters are cast well with both Ray Liotta and Rober De Niro fitting the parts but it is Joe Pesci who shines as Tommy DeVito. Considering that most of the movies dialogue ended up improvised, Pesci literally comes across as a scary guy with his loud mouth and unpredictable actions. It's a performance that deserved the Oscar that Pesci won.

On a second viewing I may solve this issue, but during my first time, I seemed to find myself slightly lost in the storylines involving any of Liotta's female associates. This confusion didn't stop me from following the film and I was able to finish it knowing exactly what had happened in the plot. I also enjoyed the idea of having the lead character narating key points in the plot, which further enhanced the true story approach. Due to the actors, script and direction, you an easily see why Goodfellas is a favourite among many viewers.