Goodfellas
3.5/4
Starring: Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, Paul Sorvino, Lorraine Bracco
Rated R for Graphic Gangster Violence, Language, Sexuality and Drug Use (I guess)
"Goodfellas" is a triumph of directorial ability. This is easily the most skillfully made movie I have ever seen. There are tons of neat shots and camera movements, effects and storytelling techniques. One could write a whole essay on how Scorcese uses the camera and editing to tell his story in a dynamic way. He uses a lot of camera and storytelling tricks (multiple narrators and making the camera act as an observer), but like the best directors, Scorcese doesn't overdo it. He has a reason for everything he does, and he never shows off.
The story is, on paper, about Henry Hill (Liotta), who wanted to be a gangster ever since he could remember. It wasn't the money that attracted him to "the life," although that certainly helped. It was the respect. Doors would open, he would get the front of the line at clubs and get front row seats automatically. He would get nice clothes. Any problem he had, it would be taken care of. A young kid would be easily seduced by this lifestyle, but one thinks that Henry would have joined no matter what age he was. To him, it's a fantasy, only real. Sure, you had to do some criminal activities, but to Henry, it's like being a mischievous prankster. With his friends Tommy Vito (Pesci) and Jimmy Conway (De Niro), Henry Hill rises through the ranks. But as it is with every fantasy, reality has to take over, and even Henry begins to realize that it's not a pretty sight.
At least that's what moves the film along. But "Goodfellas" is really about life in the mob. This is, and is not, a story oriented film. Henry Hill may be the protagonist, but the focus is on how these people lived and operated, or at least who Henry, and later his wife Karen (Bracco), saw it. It's a fully developed world, completely closed off from the outside, but where everyone is close knit and does everything with each other. If you're going on vacation, you go with the family. It's a cross between a cult and a fraternity.
The performances are terrific, as is the case with all of Scorcese's movies. Ray Liotta, whose career turned from being a big star to being a character actor, is in fine form. He's low-key, but he makes Henry a man we can stick by through everything. Joe Pesci won an Oscar for playing Tommy, a man who can go from a funny crowd pleaser to a violent psychopath in an instant. Scorcese favorite Robert De Niro is also very good, fully disappearing into the role to the extent that I was sometimes shocked that Jimmy Conway was played by "the" Robert De Niro. Paul Sorvino and Lorraine Bracco are also very good.
The whole film is like a travelogue through about 20 years or so in Henry Hill's life. And that's what it feels like. It's great to look at and experience, but it feels somewhat superficial. I don't mean that necessarily as a criticism. Due to time constraints (the film is already 2.5 hours long) and perhaps the film's subject matter, I felt like I was an outsider looking in. For all the time that we spend with the characters, none attain three-dimensionality that would make this film truly great. I almost wished that the film was longer so we could get deeper and deeper into the characters and the people that live in them. That's the beauty of a miniseries or a TV show; there's more time to work with.
As a director, Scorcese has always been talented and a risk taker. Even in his less successful films, like "The Aviator" or "The Departed," his skill is unmistakable. His style in subtle, but unmistakable emotions. The mood in this film traverses a spectrum of emotion in such a subtle fashion that you almost don't realize it. There is a shot that is repeated a number of times in the film, and it's just wonderful. Scorcese has Henry tell us who is who while the camera, in a first person fashion, travels through the bar or club. It's absolutely stunning.
"Goodfellas" is widely considered to be a classic film, and while I can understand those who think that, I do not agree. This is a visually dazzling and richly made film, yes, but as I said, there's not enough to truly grab onto emotionally. A lot of films have trouble with stories that span wide stretches of time, and while Scorcese has an interesting solution, it's not completely successful (but much better than most biopics). I never felt completely submerged into Henry's world. Maybe that's what Scorcese had intended. Be that as it may, this is a film that approaches brilliance, but doesn't quite get there.
Starring: Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, Paul Sorvino, Lorraine Bracco
Rated R for Graphic Gangster Violence, Language, Sexuality and Drug Use (I guess)
"Goodfellas" is a triumph of directorial ability. This is easily the most skillfully made movie I have ever seen. There are tons of neat shots and camera movements, effects and storytelling techniques. One could write a whole essay on how Scorcese uses the camera and editing to tell his story in a dynamic way. He uses a lot of camera and storytelling tricks (multiple narrators and making the camera act as an observer), but like the best directors, Scorcese doesn't overdo it. He has a reason for everything he does, and he never shows off.
The story is, on paper, about Henry Hill (Liotta), who wanted to be a gangster ever since he could remember. It wasn't the money that attracted him to "the life," although that certainly helped. It was the respect. Doors would open, he would get the front of the line at clubs and get front row seats automatically. He would get nice clothes. Any problem he had, it would be taken care of. A young kid would be easily seduced by this lifestyle, but one thinks that Henry would have joined no matter what age he was. To him, it's a fantasy, only real. Sure, you had to do some criminal activities, but to Henry, it's like being a mischievous prankster. With his friends Tommy Vito (Pesci) and Jimmy Conway (De Niro), Henry Hill rises through the ranks. But as it is with every fantasy, reality has to take over, and even Henry begins to realize that it's not a pretty sight.
At least that's what moves the film along. But "Goodfellas" is really about life in the mob. This is, and is not, a story oriented film. Henry Hill may be the protagonist, but the focus is on how these people lived and operated, or at least who Henry, and later his wife Karen (Bracco), saw it. It's a fully developed world, completely closed off from the outside, but where everyone is close knit and does everything with each other. If you're going on vacation, you go with the family. It's a cross between a cult and a fraternity.
The performances are terrific, as is the case with all of Scorcese's movies. Ray Liotta, whose career turned from being a big star to being a character actor, is in fine form. He's low-key, but he makes Henry a man we can stick by through everything. Joe Pesci won an Oscar for playing Tommy, a man who can go from a funny crowd pleaser to a violent psychopath in an instant. Scorcese favorite Robert De Niro is also very good, fully disappearing into the role to the extent that I was sometimes shocked that Jimmy Conway was played by "the" Robert De Niro. Paul Sorvino and Lorraine Bracco are also very good.
The whole film is like a travelogue through about 20 years or so in Henry Hill's life. And that's what it feels like. It's great to look at and experience, but it feels somewhat superficial. I don't mean that necessarily as a criticism. Due to time constraints (the film is already 2.5 hours long) and perhaps the film's subject matter, I felt like I was an outsider looking in. For all the time that we spend with the characters, none attain three-dimensionality that would make this film truly great. I almost wished that the film was longer so we could get deeper and deeper into the characters and the people that live in them. That's the beauty of a miniseries or a TV show; there's more time to work with.
As a director, Scorcese has always been talented and a risk taker. Even in his less successful films, like "The Aviator" or "The Departed," his skill is unmistakable. His style in subtle, but unmistakable emotions. The mood in this film traverses a spectrum of emotion in such a subtle fashion that you almost don't realize it. There is a shot that is repeated a number of times in the film, and it's just wonderful. Scorcese has Henry tell us who is who while the camera, in a first person fashion, travels through the bar or club. It's absolutely stunning.
"Goodfellas" is widely considered to be a classic film, and while I can understand those who think that, I do not agree. This is a visually dazzling and richly made film, yes, but as I said, there's not enough to truly grab onto emotionally. A lot of films have trouble with stories that span wide stretches of time, and while Scorcese has an interesting solution, it's not completely successful (but much better than most biopics). I never felt completely submerged into Henry's world. Maybe that's what Scorcese had intended. Be that as it may, this is a film that approaches brilliance, but doesn't quite get there.
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