Pretty good, but overrated

Rating: 7/10 (22 May 2002)

Goodfellas is about a journey of an outsider who makes it good in the world of Italian mafia, and befriends two mobs for the remainder of his career. Much like Forrest Gump, its a story being told largely through one person' point of view. I conclude at the end that although the movie was exteremely enjoyable, its a bit overrated and it did not bear any lasting images in my psyche. There isn't a single aspect that strikes me as memorable or powerful. Thus it irritates me to no end that Goodfellas is constantly being compared to The Godfather, because I couldn't disagree more. What makes The Godfather so good is that its not really about gangsters running a business, but a deep look on family relationships and how their respective roles and personalities contribute to the family's successes and downfall. Goodfellas is only about three men working together, having the time of their lives, and occasionally punching and kicking their way through obstacles before things starts to fall apart at the end - nothing is out of the ordinary. The only message I get from the story is that becoming a gangster gives you power, but you must pay for that power dearly in exchange for absolute loyalty. Problem is, I've heard of this countless of times already.
Goodfellas has a great cast (especially Pesci), nicely paced storyline and unfortunately an average soundtrack trying hard to "capture" the feel of the period. I like it and its really entertaining, but at the same time its an utterly forgettable gangster movie.