Scorsese on Scorsese; Scorsese's best...Or the best I've seen up to now

Rating: 10/10 (2 June 2005)

Martin Scorsese has had a delicate career. I'm not saying he has had bad times as a director; I'm talking about his recognition as the pro he is. And I'm talking about the times he was overlooked, even with this movie, which is without doubt the best work he has done (or at least the best I've seen). I don't want to say what everyone says but we've seen Marty lost his Oscars with actors turned directors in those that for most people where his best movies.
But many people waste a lot of time talking about those things; and I'm writing about "Goodfellas". Yes, that Scorsese movie that is so his as most of his projects are. That movie, one of the few directed by Scorsese that he also wrote, in collaboration with Nicholas Pileggi; who would write with him again for "Casino", a movie I haven't seen but I watched some parts and there's a clear parallel. In "Casino", it's a guy talking about how the casino works; the movement. The guy works in the casino. In "Goodfellas", it's a guy narrating his life as a gangster. He's a gangster, and if you don't realize at the beginning, it'll happen soon when he starts by: "As far back as I can remember, I've always wanted to be a gangster". "Goodfellas" is based on a true story, about characters that really existed and could have had talks with the movie's main actors.
There's an unusual magic in cinema when it comes to narration; and this is one of the first movies that dealt with that. Frank Darabont was having doubts as he was writing his first feature, based on a book, as "Goodfellas" is. He was writing and discovered he was using a lot of narration, he was afraid it wouldn't work. Only just then he sat and watched "Goodfellas" again, and probably again and again"The heck", he must have said. "This is pure narration". Of course that movie is "The Shawshank Redemption", today a classic and personally one of my favorite scripts.
When you experience main characters narrating the story, it's something unique. I've recently seen "Paid in full", where Ace, the main character, is telling a story. He takes us to the past once we saw a glance of the presents, and talks quietly and not so much so we can presence the story. This atmosphere came before with "Goodfellas", where Henry Hill (Ray Liotta) talks, after we see a brief glance in a time we'll see after. He introduces us to everyone and to his most united friends; Jimmy Conway (Robert De Niro) and Tommy DeVito (Joe Pesci). Henry's both friends are not telling the story; he is. So we know that no matter what, Henry won't be dead at the ending. He'll survive because he can't be telling the story from heaven; not when he stops and talks directly to the audience in some shots. In "Paid in full", Ace is a good man, and we want the best for him, because we know the persons around him and how they can influence him. He narrates the story; he's our hero.
"Goodfellas" is another type of enchantment: where no hero exists; where we are just contemplating the story and not taking any sides. Is Henry the hero because he tells the story? No; neither Jimmy or Tommy. This is achieved by a wonderful script; trapping and palpable. As in "Paid in full", we get to know everyone: women (lovers or wives), who are always there for men. This is dealt with complexity, because some men have only lovers, but another are married and also need a company. The important wife role was in Lorraine Bracco's hands. Karen was in love of a violent and dangerous guy that was exciting because of what she turned into when being with him; and the future she predicted by his side. This is all correctly managed in Bracco's astonishing performance.
We get to know the boss; that type of man knew in movies like "The Godfather". The man who doesn't talk to anyone personally, is calmed, and available when needed in extreme situations. He's Paul Cicero, played by Paul Sorvino, in a performance that compares silence with noise...In the business environment, people come and go, with short dialogues; and you understand who does what...It's all too big to be described.
Ray Liotta carries with the weight of the movie somehow, in one of his ever best performances, adding original changes because of all the different transformations his character suffers. Joe Pesci, with one Oscar he'll always thank to Scorsese, steals the show with the movie's best lines and scenes in his hands. De Niro was already a pro at that time, butIt is something amazing to see him in any performance. He graces the screen with his way of talking, making each moment memorable; and that's one thing not many actors can't achieve. I didn't use to admire him as an actor; but I'm starting to realize, and Scorsese has a lot to do with that.
With that and with everything, Marty is hidden behind every little detail in this film. Again, he puts his own visions into the screen, so you can see he's there. Sometimes his camera knows more than the storyteller; sometimes it knows nothing, and it really doesn't need toIt can be living the moment, or planning that violence Scorsese is always willing to release, just to mix it with the characters' deepest feelings.
Scorsese, like Jimmy, Henry, Tommy or any other says; is a "good fella". "He's with us, he's OK, you can hang out with him; he's a good fellaYou know?". And his "Goodfellas" is another underrated cinematographic brilliance; as one of those all-time movie classics.