"Never rat on your friends and always keep your mouth shut."

Rating: 9/10 (21 September 2013)

The film, Goodfellas, is a modern day gangster film brilliantly directed by Martin Scorsese. The film is sure to be an instant classic and stars Ray Liotta, as Henry Hill, Robert De Niro as Jimmy Conway, and Joe Pesci as Tommy. The film, a crime drama, is based on a true story and chronicles Henry Hill as he transitions into a gangster family. This film has a character driven theme with a plot based on the business of being a gangster. The characters are presented like family members and the "family" business revolves around protecting people who cannot, for various reason, reach out to local law enforcement. The golden rule in this family business is to "never rat on your friends and always keep your mouth shut".
The film unfolds in a series of flashbacks spanning from 1955 to 1970 and opens with Henry Hill, as a young man. He recounts his fascination with the gangster lifestyle and what drew him deeper into "the family business". As a young man, the fascination was with the power associated with being affiliated with the gangsters. He was earning very good money and gaining respect along the way. To a young Henry Hill, his new found gangster family were well dressed gentleman who always had money and were respected in their community for "sharing" their wealth and protecting the innocent.
The film goes on to introduce the other members of the "family". Pauly, played by Paul Sorvino, is the head of the "family" and keeps everyone in line and earning to support the entire business. Henry's mentor in the business is Jimmy, and Jimmy liked to steal. Jimmy did his business as a gentleman, paying for his tip-offs and treating his "victims" with respect. He would rob the trucks and sell off the goods, insuring that everyone got a piece and making everyone happy with "the deal". Tommy is Henry's cohort in crime as they develop their side of the business together. Tommy introduces Henry to his wife Karen, played by Lorraine Bracco, and they live like brothers and raise their families in the suburbs. Karen, as Henry's wife, is more than happy to turn her head to the family business as long as it suits her needs.
The editing, and specifically the transitions, are essential to this movie as the movie spans a thirty year time period. The editing throughout this movie is key for these transitions as there is much back and forth between the current time frame of the film, as well as the history leading up to those points. This back and forth editing allows for the character of Henry Hill to be fully developed and provides the viewer the history behind the character and the choices that he ultimately makes.
As a result of the frequent flashback series, there is also significant voice-over narration throughout the movie. During the first half of the movie, the background of the Henry Hill character is told via several flashback scenarios. The film opens with a flashback sequence that takes the view back to Henry's childhood. The adult voice of Henry is noted as the younger version of Henry's childhood plays out. This sequencing continues to explain how Henry met his wife, got married, had children, and delved further into the family business
The story is brilliantly told makes it is easy to understand how a young and impressionable Henry gets pulled into the business. As the story unfolds, the viewer begins to feel the increasing pressure that Henry is under to continue to earn for this family partners. As the film ends, it is evident that Henry has broken the golden rule of the family business and has turned into his own worse nightmare. As with all families, things may look pretty on the outside, but rarely do you find one without a set of problems.