Gangster life, the "goodfellas" as related by Henry Hill.

Rating: Null/10 (25 June 2014)

For some reason I had missed seeing this movie for all these years, but recently found it on BluRay at my local public library. The picture and sound are first-rate and has several very interesting extras.
Perhaps the most interesting one is Henry Hill himself talking about his former life as a gangster and stating that this movie is at least 95%, no 99%, realistic and true. Crime reporter Nicholas Pileggi helped Hill write the book Wiseguy, published in 1986. This movie is based on that book. He died the day after he turned 69, in 2012.
Many consider this Martin Scorsese's masterpiece. It isn't my favorite genre, it contains lots of violence and gore, plus lots of graphic cursing. But for its type, yes it is a masterpiece.
Among the gangsters we have Robert De Niro as James Conway, Ray Liotta plays Henry Hill who also narrates, so we know he will survive. Joe Pesci is devastatingly good as the despicable Tommy DeVito who will shoot anyone outside the "family" if he gets mad at them. Paul Sorvino is Paul Cicero.
So what we have is a portrait over a couple of decades of these men who look at their life of crime as their business. They see an opportunity, they arrange a heist, that is their life. But it is a dangerous life with a short cycle, they will each soon be in prison or be killed.
In the end when Hill sensed that he was being set up for an execution, he and his wife tried to run only to be caught by the Feds. He ended up being the star witness to put the others away, in exchange for his freedom.
As an aside of sorts, some of the scenes are set at the Copacabana club, and in one we get to see Jerry Vale singing, while in another Bobby Vinton's son is shown lip-syncing an original Bobby Vinton song. Nice touches!