Goodfellas, but not quite great

Rating: 8/10 (23 June 2004)

Martin Scorcese's compelling 'Goodfellas' is arguably his most entertaining film. It's accomplishments include a strong but believable narrative, a loving recreation of two decades of New York life in music and images (including some famously stunning elongated tracking shots), and great performances, in particular from Joe Peschi as the psychopathic killer Tommy and Paul Sorvino as a mafia boss. Yet its watchability is also its weakness. Central character Henry Hill (Ray Liotta) narrates throughout, smoothing together the strands of the story but also telling us how to interpret it and thus distancing us from the action. The film lacks the visceral intimacy of 'Raging Bull' (or, indeed, the subversiveness of 'Taxi Driver' or 'The King of Comedy'), while, for example, the emotional impact of the scenes where Henry realises the mob is out to kill him is slight compared with, say, the similar scenes concerning Al Pacino's character in 'Donnie Brasco'. It's almost impossible to dislike this film, because we are led through it so adeptly, but at a certain level, it's little more than a well-spun yarn, proof perhaps that a master reaches the height of his technical powers somewhat later than the peak of his imagination. Enjoy it, but the early stuff is better.