Engrossing movie making with minor reservation(s)...

Rating: 9/10 (6 February 2001)

I caught this terrific movie on TV again last night and, not for the first time, thought how wonderfully riveting this brilliantly directed and sublimely acted film is. The dialogue never appears to hit a false note; the situations are frequently, sickeningly engrossing and the ensemble playing is as natural as breathing. Yet it was whilst enjoying this latter part that I realised a potential flaw in this otherwise flawless gem: It dawned on me that - of the evil triumvirate at the heart of this film (Pesci [frighteningly superb]; De Niro and Liotta) - only Henry Hill (Liotta) is given the scope by writer and director to show any humanity throughout several of the story's more callous moments. Is this because he was the only gangster with any humanity at the time of the Goodfellas? (Possibly). Or is it perhaps because the film is based directly on his testimony (in which case - he would allow himself be occassionaly human in a world of unfeeling animals: wouldn't he?)? Call me cynical, but watch for yourself.

Anyway. That's the only potential flaw. That and the fact that, three quarters of the way in - as Liotta focusses on drug running - Scorsese decides to produce twenty minutes of a completely different style of movie! Oh, and Lorraine Bracco's bravura performance being shamefully underrated by far too many reviewers (which is, of course, not a flaw of the film!). And finally the fact that, even though this film has existed for over a decade (and therefore the evidence that fine writing helps fine direction and fine direction helps fine acting and - NEVER! - these things altogether add up to classic cinema) Hollywood will still, on the whole, prefer to go for chaos over character and Janet and John dialogue over a literate script! (One for the Brit's there!)