Scorsese, DeNiro, and Pesci! Together again.

Rating: 10/10 (17 August 2008)

GOODFELLAS came out in the first year of the 90s and was so good it stayed one of the best films by the end of the decade. It is a supremely confident Martin Scorsese at his storytelling best! It is perhaps his last true masterpiece (so far). GOODFELLAS is the anti-gangster film. The anti-GODFATHER, GOODFELLAS tells the sordid, sleazy side of the gangster. It is realistic in presentation, but still has that Scorcese touch of flair and the characters jump out at the screen at you.
GOODFELLAS is the story of one Henry Hill (played memorably by Ray Liotta, who also narrates most of the film). Henry was raised in Brooklyn in the 50s and ended up friends with a local hood Tommy DeVito, who was connected to the mob. As an adult Tommy is played by Joe Pesci in a performance that deservedly won him the Best Supporting Actor award of 1990. Pesci's speech was short but memorable (the Academy really deserves few words of thanks from anyone, but this time, they got the winner right). Tommy is a borderline psychopath who snaps at the slightest hint of disrespect towards him. These moments are simultaneously hilarious and frightening to watch, because they seem so real and Pesci perfectly relays the hotheadedness of Tommy.
Tommy works for the larger mob, run by Paulie Cicero (a well cast Paul Sorvino in fine form). The go-to guy though for both Henry and Tommy is Paulie's right hand man Jimmy Conway (played by the great Robert DeNiro in one of his most underrated performances). DeNiro really carries GOODFELLAS for me. Scorcese ALWAYS seems to bring out the best in DeNiro. He really seems to know what makes this actor tick. And it works to perfection in GOODFELLAS.
Together, the triumvirate of Henry, Tommy, and Jimmy successfully gangster-ize their way through the 50s, 60s, and 70s (well, 2 of them made it that far!). The convos in GOODFELLAS are what really strike me. They seem so authentic and scary. These guys plot, scheme, cajole, and kill with such alarming ease that it is almost a revelation that guys like this really existed. They are completely embedded in this world. They love being GOODFELLAS.
Also memorable is Best Supporting Actress nominee Lorraine Bracco as Henry's wife Karen, who gets narrate a small part of the film herself. Initially disgusted by Henry and his world, Karen becomes intoxicated by it and caught in it herself.
The biggest star of GOODFELLAS is probably the cinematography: long tracking shots, character closeups at key moments, zoom-ins to characters at important points, slightly shaky camera action, etc. It magnifies the effect of this deadly life that these people have chosen to be a part of. The use of era music is done to great effect as well, in addition to capturing the essence of the 50s through the 70s. Great work all around.
GOODFELLAS was nominated for Best Picture in 1990 and should have won. Scorsese absolutely should have won Best Director. A real modern classic. Heck, a classic in any time period!