Great Gangster Film

Rating: 10/10 (30 June 2008)

Goodfellas is one of my favourite films and is my second favourite Martin Scorsese film (Raging Bull is my first). This is one of the first modern gangster films that look at the working class/file and rank members of the Mafia, compared to films like the Godfather which looked at the upper ranks.
Goodfellas is based on the book Wise Guys, an autobiographical account by Henry Hill, a former member of the Mafia. The film looks at rise in the ranks from a 14-year-old boy to becoming a successful member, making money and becoming happily married to spells in prison and leaving the Mafia. The film looks at the working of the crime organisation, but also looks at Hill's (Ray Liotta (easily his best film)) personal life, such as his courting of Karen (Lorraine Bracco), from an unsuccessful double date to marriage. It looks at his relationships with other Mafia members and how they work together and act like a family themselves. It does not show the Mafia as either good or evil, even thought they do bad things, and makes the character human. Tommy DeVito (Joe Pesci), is well played as a psychopath and this film got Pesci an Oscar for best supporting actor. The casting is brilliant, as already mentioned this is Liotta's best performance, Robert De Niro is always good, so Joe Pesci and Bracco is good and she ends up in the Soparnos.
This film is excellent and should have won more Oscars, especially best director. It has also been very influential in the gangster genre, from the Soparnos, to films like Donnie Brasco to Scorese own film Casino, and has been parodied in programs like the Simpsons and Futurama. Goodfellas is a must see movie.