Goodfellas

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Click here to show this review. «You know, we always called each other good fellas. Like you said to, uh, somebody, :You're gonna like this guy. He's all right. He's a good fella. He's one of us. : You understand? We were good fellas. Wiseguys. » Some gangsters have more morality than others, but most of them are willing to kill whoever comes their way and try to keep them from going further. Gangsters have power, they have the freedom of doing whatever they want, they are above the law, they are the law. Gangsters have all the money want, they are like movie stars. Thats why ordinary people envy gangsters, cause they have found a way to reach the American Dream. The only difference, is that most ordinary people are willing to do what gangsters do, cause with them also comes violence, the risk of getting wack anytime you do a little mistake, remorse, many things most dont want to live with. Gangsters arent super-human, they were simply raised like that, from the moment they could think for themselves right before becoming teenagers. Well, thats how the mob was in the orgazined crime world, nobody really decides to become a gangster. «As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster. » Henry Hill was introduced to the crime world at a very young age, parking cars and doing other odd jobs for the Lucchese family and mobster Paul Vario, in the film changed to Paul Cicero. That was normal life for him and he was naturally talented when came time to hustle. He obviously stayed in touch with them and became a somehow important member as he became an adult. He worked with Jimmy Burke and Tommy DeSimone, renamed in the film Jimmy Conway and Tommy DeVito. They were one of hell of a trio, with Burke/Conway, an older man, who was feared by all and new all the tricks in the business. DeSimone/DeVito was the crazy one of the holy trio, liking to pull the trigger for fun and never really regretting any move. He was the only one with «pure» blood, which later gave him teh opportunity to become a made-man, making Jimmy very proud. Even though they didnt always work together, Henry, Jimmy and Tommy were close friends and kept in touch even when some of them went to prison, to later come out and pull off another gig. Goodfellas pretty much follow their ascent, in the 60's and 70's, in the family until Henry Hill, scared for his wife and kids, and himself, came down to cooperating with the F. B. I. going under the witness protection program. «For a second I thought I was dead. But, when I heard all the noise, I knew they were cops. Only cops talk that way. If they'd been wiseguys, I wouldn't have heard a thing. I would've been dead. » What makes Goodfellas great is how Martin Scorsese introduces us to that world, with the insight of the man who really was part of it at some point. It shows the casualities of the mobsters without focusing on the violence, but simply showing the audience the reality of this world. Their lives, their family, we also get insights from Henry Hill's wife, as they are both the movie's narrators, taking turns, explaning things and giving details on how things used to work. The characters are fully developped, as we get to know them, their temper, even though we dont get deeply into their psychology, but thats not what the film is about, its rather about the lifestyle without doing it with the Hollywood clichés. «For us to live any other way was nuts. Uh, to us, those goody-good people who worked sh*tty jobs for bum paychecks and took the subway to work every day, and worried about their bills, were dead. I mean they were suckers. They had no balls. If we wanted something we just took it. If anyone complained twice they got hit so bad, believe me, they never complained again» Goodfellas is a stylish picture with unexpected tunes, cool camera movements, including long shots like only Martin Scorsese can create, fun dialogues, rythmed narration, real tension, real insights on its main themes, great acting, plus, it feels real. A genuine family portrait. Goodfellas is as close to perfection as movies can get, its no wonder its considered the best film of the 90's by many. If you ask any real film geeks, nine times out of ten, he'll tell you Goodfellas is on his top favorite movies of all-time, I know its one mine and most likely on yours as well. To me Goodfellas is the ultimate mob movie, and I'm totally aware some might try to remind me of The Godfather. Of course, Coppola's saga is great, but its no Goodfellas. Ray Liotta, in the role that made him a star, is Henry Hill, and already he showed all his potential. Unfortunately for him, his career wasnt the most exciting after this film, due to bad choices but he recycled himself in fun memorable second parts in movies in the early 2000, and went back to his game, proving that all the hype surrounding him after Goodfellas wasnt unfounded, thanks to an amazing performance in Narc. Robert DeNiro was Jimmy Conway, his sixth collaboration with director Scorsese, they knew each other pretty well by then, and again, the director pulls a great subtle performance out of the actor, giving him room to act but never stealing the show, so we can keep focus on the story. Joe Pesci completes the trio, he had worked with both DeNiro and Scorsese on Raging Bull ten years earlier, but this one made him an actor everybody wanted in their films after he won the best supporting actor Oscar, which he totally deserved, thanks to a memorable performance and the some dialogues wonderfully delivered. Lorraine Bracco plays another important character in the film, the wife of Henry Hill, she is strong and live up to the rest of the cast bringing emotions and reality in this world of gangsterism. Marlon Brandon sure is the ultimate Godfather but Paul Sorvino's Paulie, is a close second. He never makes his character a parody, which too often happens, even in serious mob pictures. He has a small part, but he plays it great and the audience doesnt forget about him. Basically the entire cast is great, acting almost effortlessly, as it is so often the case when Martin Scorsese directs, he's got a touch with actors that very few directors have. Basically, Goodfellas is a masterpiece, well I guess my entire review was leading to that statement. It shows that world which ordinary people consider a fantasy, cause no one is willing to go as far as making it real, mostly cause of moral issues. Thats why this film is so fascinating, the audience gets absorbed in a wolrd they'll never know, but for a close two and a half hour, we forget about everything else, let ourselves sink into the mobster life and live it until we are brought back to the surface, just like Henry Hill was, then, the dream is over, so is the film. Let's watch it again. «I'm not mad, I'm proud of you. You took your first pinch like a man and you learn two great things in your life. Look at me, never rat on your friends and always keep your mouth shut. »