Best Mob Film of this Generation!

Rating: Null/10 (4 January 2000)

Back in the 70's, Francis Ford Coppola gave us "The Godfather" and infused into film-goers an infatuation with the Mob and their ways of life. Many felt that the 3 GF films 'glamourised' the Mob in many ways as people started to associate not only violence but family ties and loyalty to them. Then came the 90's and we have Martin Scorsese's "GoodFellas", a hard-hitting, no-holds-barred look at the life of a mobster through 3 decades. The traits of the Mob were still there,ie:violence, trust/betrayal, family abuse, loyalty..etc etc, but Scorsese's film brings us deep into the world of his characters. It shows us the perks and 'highs' of being a gangster, then slaps us in the face with its sudden outbursts of violence n dangers, sucks us in as they spiral towards their eventual downfall and leaves us exhausted from the ride. In the end, we see clearly that crime doesn't pay - a message which the Godfather films fail to emphasise properly. Fast-paced and narrated by the main character himself, the film has a voyeuristic feel made even more so by the great camerawork. Excellent soundtrack which seem to blend perfectly with each era and scene. A fresh and unique change from the slow moving grandeur of the GF films. Performances are as good as they get all around, especially from De Niro and Pesci. Definitely the Mob film for and of this generation! Based on a true story.