Scorsese's definitive gangster epic, running rings around both Casino and Gangs of New York

Rating: 10/10 (26 March 2005)

The themes of this extraordinary film are in fact quite ordinary when you think about it. The wish that Henry Hill has to be respected and to have all of his desires fulfilled are wishes that we all can relate to. The fact that he has to lie, cheat and steal and in some cases kill to get it, will probably not relate to many but in Henry's world it is just as ordinary as brushing your teeth. Martin Scorsese paints a portrait of a man who wants it all but is somehow unwilling to pay the price.
The character Henry Hill, based on a real person, is weak in spirit. He doesn't seem to be ruthless enough to be a gangster and it will eventually spell his doom. Ray Liotta gives an excellent performance that really shows range. He has played bad guys before but also basically decent men like his role in "Dominick and Eugene" and "Corrina, Corrina". Here he covers both sides. He is immensely nasty to everybody who tries to steal from him but is also quite sympathetic when it comes to looking out for his family. His wife, played by Lorraine Bracco, is not really a criminal but she is turned on by crime and the fact that Henry kills for a living is not something that bothers her in the beginning.
There are several good supporting performances in this movie but to name just the really important: 1) Robert De Niro as Jimmy Conway (even though he has top billing). This is not one of his best roles but he is an important figure in the last part of the movie and the way he reacts to the death of somebody really close to him is quite frightening but then again that's no big surprise. 2) Joe Pesci as Tommy DeVito. What can you say except: Bravo! Nobody could have played this totally evil character better. And finally Paul Sorvino as Paul. His may not be the most flamboyant role but he does have some eccentricacies that are quite amusing and unlike Marlon Brando in The Godfather, he has a more relaxed performing style and he is therefore more credible as a real person.
The superb editing of Thelma Schoonmaker must also be credited for making this film such an exhilarating experience. Three hours seem like a half in this film and it's nice that she just won her second Oscar for the Aviator.
The truth is that even though Scorsese has made bad movies his track record is the absolute best for any filmmaker. So let's hope that he does something outstanding very soon as he has been in kind of a slump lately.