Review of GoodFellas (1990) by Brian B — 03 Apr 2017

"The Godfather" is usually called the greatest gangster film ever made. Several films such as "Scarface", "The Godfather Part 2", "Bonnie and Clyde", and "Pulp Fiction" are rivals to that movie. To me, "Goodfellas" definitely ranks very high up there. I love both "The Godfather" and "Goodfellas" and I think that both films are masterpieces.

This movie follows infamous gangster Henry Hill and his friends as they work their way up in the gangster world. It shows different people and different events he encounters in this film.

I just want to start off this review by saying that this movie is incredibly entertaining. It keeps the movie going at an enjoyable pace and it makes the movie very easy to follow. The movie even draws you in right at the beginning with its brilliant opening scene which is now iconic.

By far, Tommy DeVito (Joe Pesci) is my favorite character in this movie. He is threatening and he seems like the kind of guy that you don't want to mess with. He can lose his temper very easily and if someone annoys him even in the slightest way possible, they risk getting themselves shot and killed. The infamous "Funny How?" scene near the beginning is definitely one of the most tense scenes in all of cinema history. The audience is left wondering if he'll pop and the silence of the scene makes it more tense. In other words, he basically steals the show.

Ray Liotta also gave a fantastic role as Henry Hill. I can't think of a better actor to play him. He captures a feeling of innocence all while having a feeling of violence to him. He also loses his temper easily and when he does, those scenes stick with you very long after viewing it.

Also, Robert De Niro gave a great performance. Robert De Niro has always been one of if not my favorite actor of all time. I like him for his tough guy roles. In my opinion, his performances in "Taxi Driver" and "Raging Bull" are some of the best performances ever in cinema. He gave another phenomenal performance in this movie as well even though he's not in the movie as much as you'd expect him to be based on the DVD cover.

This movie is based on the true story of Henry Hill and it is adapted from the best-selling book "Wiseguy". The book is great but the movie blows it out of the water in every way imaginable. Also, Henry Hill himself actually stated that this movie is about 95% accurate.

Also, the movie is very stylish with its dazzling cinematography. The cinematography looks so good mainly because of the lighting and realistic set design in it. On top of that, Scorsese's Copa Cabana shot is a fabulous shot and it has a lot going for it in terms of the long take.

In conclusion, this movie hits all the right notes and it is contains everything which I think is mandatory in gangster films. It is easy to follow, it has enjoyable pacing, great acting, and memorable characters. This film is definitely a masterpiece and it definitely ranks up there with some of the best movies ever made.