The most realistic gangster movie ever made

Rating: Null/10 (1 July 1999)

Goodfellas is the first and last word in gangster films, and except for Casino - also, fittingly enough, a Martin Scorcese film starring Robert DeNiro and Joe Pesci - it's hard to imagine another crime movie ever having quite the same impact. When it comes to films of this type, Scorcese is one of the most brilliant directors ever, and it's largely due to the fact that he very obviously allows his actors simply to act, and to "become" the role that they are trying to portray. His convincing, no-nonsense, honest presentation of life in and around the mob has been imitated but never duplicated, and reflects a clear awareness on his part of the unwritten rules and principles of day-to-day urban interaction that go along with the business of crime.
Joe Pesci won a well-deserved Oscar for his portrayal of an unpredictable, out-of-control, and psychopathic mobster, a performance in which he quite literally scared the s**t out of movie audiences around the country. And if the award didn't go to him, it should have gone to Paul Sorvino, for his equally convincing performance as the impassive, experienced capo who was a master of the street life, and had the upper hand on nearly everyone and everything around him. Ray Liotta, Lorraine Bracco, and (for a single but unforgettable scene) Frank Vincent also did outstanding work.
De Niro was in great form as well, although his performance becomes a little disappointing if you read Nicholas Pileggi's "Wiseguy", where you learn that the character he portrayed was in real life a much scarier guy - even tougher than the Pesci character. I wonder at times if Beau Starr, who played Henry Hill's hot-tempered and violent father, would have been more effective in that role.
The film doesn't really tell a story. Instead, like Raging Bull and Casino, it essentially has the effect of a documentary. It's not a perfect movie - it starts to drag at certain points about 3/4ths of the way through - but this can be overlooked. It's heavy use of foul language is par for the course - does anyone out there actually think gangsters use proper English or speak without swearing?
One other aspect of this film that I've never heard anyone mention is that it makes a very strong case for the "Crime Doesn't Pay" argument, without ever coming close to preaching. The message is loud and clear: Choose a life of crime, and eventually you'll wind up either murdered, in prison, or hiding for the rest of your life in the witness protection program, and this holds no matter how tough, how powerful, how well-connected, or how smart you think you are. Maybe it should be shown to youthful offenders headed down the wrong path, who after seeing it, could be asked to explain exactly why they may still want to become criminals - I'd love to hear their answers.