Review of GoodFellas (1990) by Chris W — 04 Sep 2013

I really can't decide whether this movie, or one of the first two Godfather films is the greatest Mafia film of all time. Whereas those movies provide a great look into the higher levels of the mob world, this one gives a look into the working class lower levels populated by the working class blue collar wiseguys, and it is just as fascinating and brilliant.

What we have is an adaptation of Nicholas Pileggi's book about the life story of Henry Hill- an associate of the Vario (renamed Cicero in the film) Crew, who were connected into the Lucchese Crime Family. The film follows his exploits over the course of 25 years from 1955-1980, and provides a captivating portrait of the mob in New York/New Jersey during that era.

This is just brilliant cinema in general. The story is fully realized, the direction and camera work are flawless, there are some incredibly well done sequences, and it's just an all around satisfying film to experience. I love all the attention to detail, and just all the details that are given about the ins and outs of the mob world. You really get a great sense of the world these people live in, the culture they're apart of, and how it affects them. And not to mention the great casting and flawless performances. Nobody sticks out in a negative way here. They're all at the top of their games, especially the scene stealing Joe Pesci who rightly earned an Oscar for his efforts.

Trust the reputation and check this out- it truly is one of the best films of the 1990s, and basically the late 20th Century in general.