One of the Ultimate Mobster Movies

Rating: 9/10 (17 October 2008)

When Martin Scorsese is at his best, no one can do a gangster movie like him, and "Goodfellas" is him at his best.
Mind you, I don't think it's his best film (for me, that title belongs to "Taxi Driver"), but it's a hugely entertaining and rollicking film that spends its first half making the world of mobsters look like an enticing fantasy and its second half making it look like a living hell. There are fierce performances from everyone, but though Joe Pesci was singled out for his outrageous depiction of the ultimate hot head, the film would not hold together without Ray Liotta's commanding performance at its center. Lorraine Bracco's performance as a naive dense wife who turns into an enraged shrew of a wife is like nails on a chalkboard, but I'm guessing she delivered exactly what was asked of her.
The film features rapid fire editing and a soundtrack that won't quit, but in the hands of Scorsese, elements like this feel like more than empty stylistics.
Grade: A