Review of GoodFellas (1990) by Eli T — 14 Mar 2013

23 years later, Goodfellas remains the best American crime film ever made, and represents the apex of Martin Scorsese's career. Exploring mobster Henry Hill's life, documenting everything from rise to fall, Scorsese draws us in with meticulously painted characters.

Ray Liotta astonishes in his best performance of all time as the tenacious Henry Hill. The gritty portrait of mob life is blown away by an inhumane performance by Joe Pesci as the exceedingly profane Tommy DeVito, and an indomitable Robert De Niro as the fearless Jimmy Conway.

Scorsese astounds with his semi-autobiographical work, enamoring the viewer with his expertly weaved look at both the light and dark sides of such a treacherous life. Goodfellas really does succeed from every possible angle.

Messy, bloody, kinetic, paranoiac, grimy, stylish, and classy, it leads an all-star cast to an inevitable close, and even those who know the full story will be hypnotized by its stunning intricacies all the way through.

Beautifully romanticizing the gangster vitality, the film is a testament to gorgeously shot filmmaking, and will likely never be surpassed.