Review of GoodFellas (1990) by Rex F — 30 Dec 2018

I don't think I've ever seen anything quite like Martin Scorsese's Goodfellas. Yes, it's a long movie with nearly a two-and-a-half hour running time. But if you're willing to make that time commitment, you won't regret it.

I'm still not entirely sure what to say about Joe Pesci's character. On one hand, he was a horrible and violent human being... on the other hand though, some of his scenes were most entertaining to watch.

Some may say that this film glorifies being a gangster. I don't think I'd describe it that way, as we see in detail some of the problems these people encounter. The first thing I remember doing after watching this movie was research on the real people this film is based off of, those being Henry Hill and Jimmy Conway.

The story is beautifully told and the characters learn and grow as the years go on. Ray Liotta was made famous, and rightfully so. He plays probably one of the best anti-heroes that I've seen. Dialogue is smart and realistic in a brilliant screenplay written by Scorsese himself alongside Nicholas Pileggi.

Goodfellas is a legendary masterpiece that should be discussed in all film classes if it isn't already.