Review of GoodFellas (1990) by Danny R — 28 Nov 2015

Martin Scorsese's dazzling masterpiece is a tantalizing crime drama which is based on Nicholas Pieggi's best seller Wiseguy, a true-life account of the life of Henry Hill, impressively played by Ray Liotta in the finest performance of his career.

Hill was a Brooklyn kid who grows up in an impoverished Irish-Italian American neighborhood who dreamed of becoming a part of the Mob, he started running errands for the local Mob boss Pauile Cicero, played superbly by Paul Sorvino; it is Cicero who will introduce Hill to his future mentor Jimmy Conway a master criminal and Paulie's lieutenant, played by Robert De Niro in a tour-de-force performance.

Because of Hill's ethnicity being half-Irish, half-Sicilian he can never be a "made guy," but he does become part of Paulie's family along with his psychotic partner in crime Tommy De Vito, played by Joe Pesci in a fiery powerhouse Oscar winning performance that totally unforgettable.

Hill soon becomes a threat to the Mob family because of his reckless cocaine dealings and his uncontrollable personal use of the drug, he becomes a target for both the feds and the mobsters, he is finally busted by the D.

E.A which puts his life and that of his wife and kids on the line, Hill reluctantly makes a deal to turn FBI informant in order to save himself from the murderous wrath of the Mob. Phenomenal direction by Scorsese, with exceptional supporting performances by Lorraine Bracco, Samuel L.

Jackson, Frank Vincent, Mike Starr, Frank Sivero, Chuck Low, and in a small but wonderful scene-stealing performance the director's mother the late Catherine Scorsese brilliantly plays the mother of Joe Pesci's character.

Stunning cinematography by Michael Ballhaus with astonishing editing by Thelma Schoonmaker & James Y. Kwei. A total triumphant and a must-see for any serious film lover. Nominated for 6 Academy Awards including Best Picture & Best Director: Martin Scorsese.

Highly Recommended.