Review of GoodFellas (1990) by Adam F — 08 Feb 2013

"GoodFellas" is a well shot, well acted gangster film that has a lot to say about organized crime and even if you're not a fan of the genre, you'll be able to appreciate it as a great film. When you follow characters such as these, people who deal in bootlegging, violence and crime daily, it's hard to be able to empathize or care about them because you don't want to associate yourself with these unsavoury characters. What "GoodFellas" does to get around this obstacle is follow a single character continuously from very early in his life. Once you realize how bad all of the people surrounding him are and how at any instant, for any reason he could be murdered and buried in a hole in the woods you care about him and start to really feel the tension that builds throughout the movie.

Martin Scorsese really convincingly shows the intricacies of organized crime and by doing so, it doesn't feel like the picture is glorifying the lifestyle at all. The "family" the mob builds seems more like a cult, with only selected members able to advance because of their ancestry, friends and family members being excluded and replaced with other criminals and it's obvious that there is no real love between any of the people involved. They only see each other as means to an end. Many members are shown as reckless and violent while being terrified of each other. They're ready to jump at each other's throats like dogs the second anyone gives them a dirty look or provokes them. Meanwhile it convincingly shows you what the appeal of the lifestyle is and how people get seduced by the money despite all of the risks and danger involved. On top of all of the great drama and thrills playing out, the film is very well shot. There are long, uninterrupted shots through corridors and scenes that build suspense before an explosion of violence we know is only seconds away. It's also expertly acted, with dialogue that feels genuine and flows smoothly. Despite it's long running time "GoodFellas" never feels slow and even though it was released in 1990, it's still shocking and provocative. (theatrical version, February 5, 2013).