A Masterpiece!

Rating: 10/10 (4 June 2000)

Scorsese is unquestionably our greatest contemporary filmmaker. No one, with the exception perhaps of Kubrick, can match his scope, depth, technical expertise, or sheer consistency. GoodFellas shows Scorsese at his best. The story is riveting, the performances; extraordinary, and the ending, although not a surprise, packs an enormous punch. What distinguishes it from the other great gangster films (Hawks' Scarface [and DePalma's], Coppola's Godfather I & II ) is not its themes, but rather their depiction. Never before has a film so thoroughly captured the JOY, danger, and ultimately, the desperation of "Family" life. One of the world's great films.