“As far back as I can remember, I’ve always wanted to be a gangster”
Shot in typical slick Martin Scorsese fashion, “Goodfellas” is the true story of Mob figure Henry Hill in the ‘60’s and ‘70’s, based on Nicholas Pileggi's book "Wiseguy".
The movie follows his turbulent life as he rises through the mob hierarchy. The story follows the typical lifestle of a gangster and those around him, in this case Jimmy Conway (Robert Di Niro) and Tommy Di Vito (Joe Pesci)
Henry struggles to juggle family life along with the demands of being a gangster. Scorsese gives a real feel for the glamorous and not-so-glamorous side of being in the mob.
Eventually it’s the greed of the characters and the determination to save their own skins which is their downfall.
Like any Scorsese film, this contains slick filming, editing, witty dialogue and a very captivating story. The acting from Ray Liotta (who plays the main character, Henry Hill) and Robert Di Niro shows the two to be right on their game with Di Niro giving the performance which many consider to be his finest in acting. However, the real star of the show comes in the shape of Joe Pesci who portrays Henry’s psychotic and unpredictable friend, Tommy.
Whenever Pesci is on the screen its impossible to not know he’s there and most of the time he’s incredibly funny although his change of moods can be quite disturbing. In one scene he shoots a barman dead who has the audacity to answer him back. The dark humour of the movie is evident in this scene, as Jimmy is very angry at Tommy, as he doesnt want to dig a hole for the grave that night. It’s no surprise that Pesci won an Oscar for Best Supporting Role for his acting in this film.
Eventually the inevitable happens and Hill's life starts to head downhill as the crimes get worse and he is dealing with drug addiction and paranoia after he had to raise money selling drugs following a stint in jail.
I wouldn’t recommend this movie to anyone who is disturbed by graphic, realistic violence and strong language. Although the violence may seem a little dated following the clever special effects of more modern movies, it doesnt make it any less believable. For anyone else, I would recommend this movie as one of my favourites of all time. Even if you are not a fan of the usual gangster/mafia story, there is still so much to love about this movie. Though it was made in 1990 it will undoubtedly become timeless and will go on to be mentioned as one of the greatest movies of all time for years to come.
Shot in typical slick Martin Scorsese fashion, “Goodfellas” is the true story of Mob figure Henry Hill in the ‘60’s and ‘70’s, based on Nicholas Pileggi's book "Wiseguy".
The movie follows his turbulent life as he rises through the mob hierarchy. The story follows the typical lifestle of a gangster and those around him, in this case Jimmy Conway (Robert Di Niro) and Tommy Di Vito (Joe Pesci)
Henry struggles to juggle family life along with the demands of being a gangster. Scorsese gives a real feel for the glamorous and not-so-glamorous side of being in the mob.
Eventually it’s the greed of the characters and the determination to save their own skins which is their downfall.
Like any Scorsese film, this contains slick filming, editing, witty dialogue and a very captivating story. The acting from Ray Liotta (who plays the main character, Henry Hill) and Robert Di Niro shows the two to be right on their game with Di Niro giving the performance which many consider to be his finest in acting. However, the real star of the show comes in the shape of Joe Pesci who portrays Henry’s psychotic and unpredictable friend, Tommy.
Whenever Pesci is on the screen its impossible to not know he’s there and most of the time he’s incredibly funny although his change of moods can be quite disturbing. In one scene he shoots a barman dead who has the audacity to answer him back. The dark humour of the movie is evident in this scene, as Jimmy is very angry at Tommy, as he doesnt want to dig a hole for the grave that night. It’s no surprise that Pesci won an Oscar for Best Supporting Role for his acting in this film.
Eventually the inevitable happens and Hill's life starts to head downhill as the crimes get worse and he is dealing with drug addiction and paranoia after he had to raise money selling drugs following a stint in jail.
I wouldn’t recommend this movie to anyone who is disturbed by graphic, realistic violence and strong language. Although the violence may seem a little dated following the clever special effects of more modern movies, it doesnt make it any less believable. For anyone else, I would recommend this movie as one of my favourites of all time. Even if you are not a fan of the usual gangster/mafia story, there is still so much to love about this movie. Though it was made in 1990 it will undoubtedly become timeless and will go on to be mentioned as one of the greatest movies of all time for years to come.
