You really are a funny guy!

Rating: 10/10 (22 August 2011)

IMDb Top 250: 15 Goodfellas is one of the best films ever. It's dramatic, charming, crazy and even a bit funny. Chronicling the rise and fall of wiseguy Henry Hill from the 50's to the 80's, Goodfellas is the best look at mob life... after the Godfather. This is Scorcese's best work that I have seen.
The plot can be summarized very easily: Henry Hill wants to be a gangster, and when he becomes one he lives the life, good and bad. A biography like this could be shown in an average way, but it has the Scorcese touch. The presentation of Goodfellas is, in my opinion the most interesting and engaging in film. Period music plays throughout, Hill and Karen narrate with charm, and the pacing is perfect. Goodfellas doesn't have a dull moment.
The characters are top-notch cinema, interesting and flawed. Hill, our anti-hero, is a charming Irish-Italian nobody who becomes a somebody. He looks cool, talks cool, and acts cool, until he gets in over his head with products and problems. Jimmy Conwa is the high roller, stuffing everyone's pockets with money, playing it cool until his neck is on the line. And Tommy, dear volatile Tommy, whose voice and actions steal the show, is an Italian fireball who is unpredictable. All expertly acted, these are the guys you wish you could be. Karen is also well-acted, from innocence to involvement. The entire cast of Goodfellas are personalities.
This film has its share of incredible cinematic moments. From the pistol-whipping to the montage of deaths, every scene is crafted with care. Two in particular have stood above the rest though: the famous "How am I funny?" speech, a highlight of the rapid-fire dialogue, and the long shoot, showing Henry and Karen's date from a single perspective. Genius directing.
The mood is wonderful, helped profusely by the music. Starting with oldies to show the golden age of gangsters, the music progresses in the same direction as the plot. It's unbelievable. When you hear songs from the movie, you think of Goodfellas. I hated 'Sunshine of Your Love' until Goodfellas, and when I hear it now I think of Jimmy Conway, smoking his cigarette, thinking, as the camera slowly zooms in.
A classic, Goodfellas has inspired countless films even to this day. Every part of this crime masterpiece is top- notch. If you like movies, you have to see this. 9.7/10