Directed by:
Martin ScorseseCinematography:
Michael BallhausCast:
Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta, Joe Pesci, Lorraine Bracco, Paul Sorvino, Frank Sivero, Tony Darrow, Mike Starr, Frank Vincent, Chuck Low, Frank DiLeo (more)VOD (5)
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From Nicholas Pileggi's true-life bestseller "Wiseguy", GoodFellas explores the criminal life like no other movie. Directed and co-written by Martin Scorsese, it was judged 1990's Best Picture by the New York, Los Angeles and National Society of Film Critics and named to the American Film Institute's Top-100 American Films List. Electrifying performances abound, and from a standout cast that includes Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta, Lorraine Bracco and Paul Sorvino, Joe Pesci walked off with the Best Supporting Actor Academy Award. (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment)
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Reviews (11)
Goodfellas has become a legend in its own right. Scorsese shows us the criminal world of the time without unnecessary exaggerations and believably, and, with a generous help of typologically perfect actors and a diverse soundtrack, he builds the period atmosphere and helps us understand almost perfectly the specific mood of the members and hangers-ons of the Italian mafia. All of this, of course, wrapped up in formal mastery, thanks to which the viewer has not the slightest chance to fall out of the perfectly matched rhythm, which conductor Scorsese expertly dictates with the aforementioned soundtrack (the music makes me want to experience that time so much), a fabulous cast (the central pair rock, with Pesci deserving the crown) and a great script that pits the protagonist against first his morals (his father), then his family life and finally against his own, while never ceasing to build and enthral with its psychological plausibility. And also, it's extremely funny and inventive (stop-motion, later inspired by Steven Soderbergh, for example; at times grotesque but always relevant violence; cool camera rides in interiors; shifting narrator positions to support complex story development). I like Casino better, but Goodfellas is very close to perfection. 90%
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Scorsese’s grand work about gangsters from a slightly different perspective than we are used to, for instance, in The Godfather. This isn’t about the top ranks of the Mafia, but simply about the pawns for whom this is a job like any other. Perfect acting performances and unforgettable dialogs are just the tip of the iceberg of this perfectly cut and faceted diamond.
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A decent gangster film, but not as entertaining and action-packed as Carlito's Way. I missed a better cast here, except Robert de Niro, who was not even the main character. Ray Liotta is a B-movie actor, so I shake my head in confusion at the director's choice of the main character, but I’ve seen worse. There is not much action, the film is suitable for one viewing only, also because of the overblown running time, but fortunately I was not bored. The story is interesting, but unfortunately it didn’t pull me in. Martin Scorsese's direction, however, is perfectly fine.75%
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If Leone hadn't made Once Upon a Time in America and Coppola had never made The Godfather, this would definitely be the best gangster movie of all time. It is “only” the third best. I don’t like the ending much. I should be, well, different.
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One of the best mafia movies ever made. Maybe now (fresh from a sixth viewing) the best one ever. Scorsese's Goodfellas is in every way a masterpiece without compromise, where you literally devour every shot and every line. I really don't like to get too nostalgic about the fact that "they don't make movies like this anymore" and that "this just could never get made today". But I'll make an exception in the case of Goodfellas, because quite frankly I can't imagine anyone coming close to Martin Scorsese's mastery. Apart from the excellent casting (the phenomenal Joe Pesci at 163 cm and the incredibly stylish Robert De Niro, who has precious little space here), Goodfellas stands out for its storytelling style and overall almost inimitable directorial style. Can you honestly think of any other gangster film that is incredibly entertaining despite its chilling subject matter? The opening alone, with a voiceover by "young Ray Liotta", lets you know that you're really in the top league here. It's admirable that Martin Scorsese really doesn't lose his breath for a moment and manages to keep the viewer glued to the screen for the entire running time. Every time I watch Goodfellas, I am overwhelmed with sheer joy that something like this could have been made and that it hasn't aged a bit, even after all these 30 years. The elegance, the style, the charm, the lightness, and at the same time the unabashed fun within a very edgy story is intoxicating and inimitable. "That was it. No more letters from truant officers. No letters from school. In fact, no more letters from anybody. Finally after a few weeks, my mother went to the post office to complain."
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