Rent Goodfellas (1990)

Influential And Powerful Crime Drama - Goodfellas review by GI

Arguably Martin Scorsese's best film and a landmark one setting a high standard as the 1990s began and completely reimagining the gangster film. Even the Godfather trilogy had an air of romanticism in it's depiction of the mafia possibly owing to the historical vision of the 40s and 50s but Goodfellas, mostly set in the 60s and 70s sets a scene of extreme violence with uncouth characters who covet only the power to do exactly what they want without constraint. They have no style, in fact they are simply materialistic with no idea that they indulge themselves with ugliness. This stretches to their marital relationships and homes and even to the loyalty of friendship they hold so dear and which in this film is utterly betrayed and exposed as false. Based on true events this is the story of Henry Hill (Ray Liotta). It's a fairly straight forward rise and fall story that follows Henry from a young man who is seduced by the life of crime when he joins the 'family' of Paulie (Paul Sorvino in a cold, frightening performance). His rise to loyal gangster with the help of two psychopaths, Jimmy (Robert De Niro) and Tommy (Joe Pesci in a defining and memorable role) and his marriage to Karen (Lorraine Bracco), an innocent who is also seduced by the gangster life but who has to accept the loss of her morals as a consequence. It's ultimately all about greed which overcomes all moral boundaries in these characters who achieve it through bloody murder. The violence is shocking, it's possibly Scorsese's most violent film and it gives the film an emotional power. Scores uses his camera in some eloquent ways to tell his story including a now famous tracking shot and bringing the background closer to simulate the closing in of the world against these criminals. There are no heroes here and you cannot root for anyone, not least Henry, who eventually succumbs to the ultimate humiliation to save his own skin. Scorsese has Henry break the fourth wall to talk direct to the viewer as he commits the final betrayal. This is a key film, a powerful one and if you've never seen this it will make you gasp on occasion but it's one of the best of American crime films of the past thirty years.