Very Good, But Not A Masterpiece

Rating: 8/10 (5 September 2005)

"Goodfellas" is a solid, well-made and well-put together film that deserves the accolades it gets. However, I don't think it's quite in the same league as "The Godfather" or "Once Upon A Time In America". It's more in the realm of "The Untouchables", in that it's made more for a mainstream audience than the above films.
The movie, to put it succinctly, regards Henry Hill (Ray Liotta in a wonderfully underrated performance), an Irish/Italian kid who grows up in New York wanting to be a gangster. He becomes a relatively big shot apprentice of local boss Paulie (Paul Sorvino), though his sympathies lie with infamous gangster Jimmy Conway (Robert De Niro) and his explosive long-time partner, Tommy DeVito (Joe Pesci). Eventually, after much violence, many affairs, a downward spiral caused mostly by drug abuse, and a robbery gone bad, Hill is arrested by the police and basically forced into violating one of the mob's key codes: don't rat on a friend, and always keep your mouth shut.
The film's storyline is flawlessly done, with no real plot holes that can be noticed. The photography is gorgeous throughout. And the acting is some of the best you're likely to see anywhere. Liotta tackles the role of Henry Hill with great panache, and depicts his rise and fall very well (even his narration is great to listen to most of the time). Lorraine Bracco gives arguably her best performance as Henry's slightly unhinged and paranoid wife, Karen. Robert De Niro gives his usual excellent performance, underplaying his part as Jimmy except when a little force is needed. Paul Sorvino is calm and likable as the big boss Paulie. But needless to say, Joe Pesci as the explosive, extraordinarily profane (2/3's of the films "fucks" must come from him), and extremely violent Tommy steals the show. Pesci is one of the finest actors ever, and he really owns this movie from beginning to end - and his death, needless to say, is something of a shock. Various other great actors like Frank Vincent, Vince Pastore, Michael Imperioli, and Samuel L. Jackson, among others, have small, early career parts.
But there's just something about this movie which doesn't strike me as being as good as the above films. I can't put my finger on it how. I think, like "The Untouchables", it was made with being a popular film in mind, rather than a great one. That's not to detract from the film too much, but it's just an observation. The period soundtrack (made up almost entirely of songs from the '40s-'70s) works sometimes, but other times (particularly the "Beyond the Sea" during the prison scenes) it detracts from the action and took me at least out of the film. Obviously, most others will disagree with my points.
Overall, "Goodfellas" is a solid, entertaining, and very well-made film that I'd recommend to pretty much anyone. Is it a great movie? I think so. Is it a classic? Arguably. Is it one of the top two or three mob movies ever? Not quite. Still, an 8/10 (which is what I'm giving this film) is still a very good score. Nothing to be ashamed about in that, Martin.