Review of GoodFellas (1990) by The Critic ( — 20 Jan 2015

Martin Scorsese's incredible biopic on New York gangster Henry Hill's rise within the mafia is both engaging and engrossing from the get-go. At the heart of the piece is our flawed protagonist played by a stunning Ray Liotta; he is such a captivating presence, delivering a beautifully natural performance and is complimented by a career-defining turn from Lorraine Bracco. Paul Sorvino is absolutely outstanding here as the gang's patriarch and a solid Robert De Niro, unsurprisingly, doesn't disappoint. Joe Pesci, as Liotta's brother-in-crime, is also very strong, taking home the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his commendable efforts.

Scorsese co-wrote the piece with crime author Nicholas Pileggi, upon whose book the film is based, and it's the strength of the screenplay (which apparently contained dialogue ad-libbed in rehearsals) that ties the film together so nicely. Thelma Schoonmaker's tight editing and the eye-popping set and costume design combine to give us a sense of time, place and the exhilarating lifestyle of multiple players of this dangerous game.

A magnificent production with all departments putting in their very best, this is a resounding masterpiece and one of the greatest films to come out of Scorsese's prolific career.