The Ultimate Execution of Style

Rating: 10/10 (16 January 2008)

Martin Scorsese's energetic and powerful style of film-making reached its apex with the 1990 release of Goodfellas, the film considered his third masterpiece (following Raging Bull and Taxi Driver). It is arguably his greatest work, and it will inarguably live forever as the ultimate execution of his film-making style.
The ultra-tight, choppy editing of long-time Scorsese collaborator only adds to the excitement of this riveting tale of small-time New York mobsters spanning three decades. Henry Hill (Ray Liotta) grew up around the mob figures he eventually identified himself with, and became one of them at a very early age. He became partners and friends with local legend Jimmy 'The Gent' Conway (Robert De Niro) and Tommy DeVito (Joe Pesci), also at a young age.
Liotta's performance is one of a man that is blinded by material excess and permanently shaped by the violent and assertive people with which he surrounded himself. He rises, falls, rises again and falls again all within the 150-minute narrative of the film, and his story is the epitome of the old adage "crime doesn't pay." De Niro is subdued, yet stunning as Jimmy Conway. His lack of attention from pundits and fans is only because he disappeared so deeply into the role, you weren't aware you were watching a Robert De Niro performance. Pesci is nothing short of extraordinary as Tommy DeVito, an irrationally violent man who abuses his abilities as a mob figure to the point of going too far. He meets his comeuppance in one of the great build-ups and payoffs of all time.
Scorsese's oft-visited themes of moral ambivalence and male assertiveness have never been so prevalent, and every single shot of the film has a purpose. The tracking shot of Henry and wife Karen entering the Copacabana nightclub still remains one of the great all-time long takes, as we are introduced to his world just as Karen is. There are several great sequences, including a montage of dead bodies seamlessly set to "Layla" and Henry's coked-up follies in the "May 5, 1980" sequence that demonstrates the virtuosic vision and talent that Scorsese possesses.
It's a crime that Scorsese was not awarded the Oscar for directing and best picture. It was undoubtedly the best film of 1990, and is arguably the best film of the 1990s. It is a seminal piece of film-making that influenced the "VCR" generation of Tarantino, P.T. Anderson and several others, and remains the most exhilarating and power-packed 2 1/2 hour film since its release. For an unflinching look at the effect of power and excess on people, look no further.