One of the best mob films ever

Rating: Null/10 (20 October 2003)

Martin Scorsese's 'Goodfellas' focuses on three main characters: Henry Hill (Ray Liotta), Jimmy Conway (Robert DeNiro), and Tommy Devito (Joe Pesci in his Oscar- winning performance). The film chronicles thirty years of life in the mob, starting with Henry Hill as a teenager and ending with him as a full grown adult. The supporting cast includes Karen Hill (Oscar- nominated Lorraine Bracco), and Mob Boss Paul Ciccero (Paul Sorvino). The film got a total of six Oscar Nominations, including Best Director and Best Picture. This is perhaps Martin Scorsese's most (in)famous film, and it's definitely one of his best. Using narration and at times freeze- frame editing, he tells the story of the three main characters (mainly Hill) with great power. The characters feel realistic, as do the settings and the viewer feels like he/ she's there with the people in the film. The screen- play, based on the novel Wiseguys by Nicholas Pileggi, takes it's time to show the way the Mob lives. Each detail is studied carefully, and as mentioned above the characters feel real. Overall, 'Goodfellas' is a great film making achievement by the cast and crew alike. 9.75/10