The only gangster movie you ever need to see

Rating: 10/10 (27 May 2012)

20 Years after Joe Pesci asked, "Do I amuse you?" it's still hard not to be terrified by the selfish cruelty. The true story of mob rat Henry Hill seduces us with raw honesty and a charming "matter of fact monologue" by Ray Liotta. Is lying to yourself a white lie when it keeps you focused on the crime at hand? When Lorraine Bracco joins in and mirrors the storytelling monologue from the viewpoint of an outsider being charmed into the family, and suddenly the gangster genre is taken to new levels. Robert De Niro is masterful as Jimmy Conway spiraling out of control. Martin Scorcese's vision comes across through the inner workings of the Copacana to using the beautiful finality of the coda of "Layla", as the Lufthansa heist crew are innocently discovered all over the place. And these guys are Goodfellas? That's the hypocrisy played out.