Review of GoodFellas (1990) by Frank F — 28 May 2013

What makes Goodfellas such an enjoyable film for me would have to be its hard hitting, witty dialogue. If I have to pick a film that is a winner script-wise, Goodfellas would definitely be one of the top contenders. With a script like this, there are many lines that are good enough to be quotable, and it's very long list to choose from. And the desired effect is not only achieved by the script, it had to be the select number of people who be up to the task at bringing out the sharp wit of the characters and we have a cast that really shines in that department.

With Ray Liotta playing Henry Hill, his performance in letting you in on the character by putting you through his perspective with his narration alone is enough to pull you in and become captivated by the film. And as he pulls you into his world, we get introduced to numerous criminals he gets mixed up with such as Tommy DeVito played by Joe Pesci, who he plays with a lot of intensity that brings out a lot of the brutal elements in the film. When on screen, you can always sense something is going to go wrong, and what Pesci brings to this character is deserving of all the praise.

Every character evokes that sense of intensity that really gives this film its distinctive edge, but one person I seem to be captivated the most by in the movie would have to be Robert De Niro's performance as Jimmy Conway, who is crazier, but in his own more methodical way that is alot more subtle than Tommy. What Bob brings to the table is something special that again shows how versatile he is as an actor and gives me another reason as to why I think he is the greatest actor ever. He may not be in every scene, but he is the foundation of the movie for me.

These are all great performances that help to bring out this story and to know that these are true events makes this film even more insane than it already is. While The Godfather felt more graceful and has placed a heavier emphasis on subtlety to make the violent scenes have more impact when they happen unexpectedly, Goodfellas is sharp all around its edges. Whereas The Godfather was violent, it offered insight into the human aspects of the criminals and the reasons they murdered for business. That sense of sentimentality is nonexistent in Goodfellas and offers a bare bones, raw insight into the crooked lives these criminals were leading, and with that, you get a story that is sharp like a knife that when it hits you, you'll know you'll never forget it.