So, Just Whatta You Think I Am, Some Clown Here to Amuse You? What Makes Me So (Bleepin') Funny?

Rating: 10/10 (14 August 2007)

Director Martin Scorse and a (good)organized crime story, ah what a fine way to spend an afternoon! Now, even any Italian American Organization has to agree with that one. The talent of Mr. Scorsese and his life proximity to the Earthy atmosphere of the Gangster Film make for a double-barrel dose of the what is both familiar and yet strange to us all. The unique niche in the annals of film genres that is occupied by the Gangster Movie is truly a study in one end of the spectrum meeting the other end somewhere in the middle.
The Gangster film seems to be one Film Genre that everyone enjoys. Perhaps it is that there is a clue in the film, itself. At one point, Henry Hill (Ray Liotta)in describing what it is to be a gangster says(in fine voice-over form), "...we were like Movie Stars with muscle!" That must be it, for I can well recall as a kid prefer being Al Capone to being Elliott Ness.
In Director Scorsese's capable hand, we have the True Master. His is the mind to not only select a story for adaptation to the screen. The settings and the stories are great.(Being a native New Yorker, he knows this terrain, like no other.) But friend Martin has one secret weapon at his disposal that gave his work the final edge of so many others.
Mr. Scorsese makes use of all sorts of seemingly commonplace techniques, combined and then given an even greater effectiveness by these combination of these. Hence, using the hand held camera with the subjective lens, then combining it with crisp, short bursts of voice over, is used to create a sense of here and now that is virtually unseen elsewhere..
But this Director does not push it. He knows that he should just give us so much of this business, and then he abruptly switches gears. This is done several times during the course of the film and is particularly effective in getting out a lot of exposition material and advancing the story.
Bringing a full three dimensional look and feel to the characters he presents to us is where an awful lot of other film makers are left behind in the dust. Any character in GOOD FELLAS is complex and multi-faceted. Plenty of time and care is expended in an effort to make each character into something besides being just another character. There is not any room for the shallow, the one sided, the 'stock' or stereo-typed in Martin Scorsese's World.
So, we see a Henry, who would do a 'Hit', yet is caring and loving in personally protecting and comforting a frightened, molested Karen. Paulie who holds the powers of Judge and Exicutioner over so many low level syndicate 'soldiers' and 'wannabees', yet is gentle and protective to the multitude of his adoring nieces and nephews. Even Tommy, who is clearly 'not playing with a full deck' and could fly off the handle and kill for absolutely no reason, is still kind and respectful to his poor, old white haired Mother.
Only Jimmy Conway(DeNiro)seems to be lacking in any real, even half-fast good points to his personality. In the final analysis, is it he who is the worst of the bad guys? What is it that he lacks to leave him so inadequate as a person? There is one other element that seems to permeate all of Master Builder Scorsese's finished products. Mr. Scorsese always has had the ability to bring his characters just one step beyond what we would expect. He has displayed the good judgment to make his characters identifiable with us, the movie going public. This he accomplishes by bridging any existing gaps between us and the on-screeners. No matter how different we are, he manages to bring a sense of identification to us.
Hence, regardless of personal station in life (Low-life Gangster, Caveman-like Prize fighter or enigmatic billionaire tycoon) or any difference in ethnicity(Italian,Irish,Jewish, Black, etc.)we identify with these characters. I mean, I forget just how many people, who we know, said that they were reminded of someone from their own life experiences from Joe Pesci's characterization.