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 (3)
Plots(1)
Drama of a half-Irish, half-Sicilian Brooklyn boy initiated into a neighborhood mob in his youth, and the struggles he encounters with the gang through the next 25 years. (official distributor synopsis)
Videos (1)
Reviews (11)
A perfect portrait of the brutality and cruelty of people who assume the role of demigods who decide the life and death of others. De Niro, with his fluffy shoulders and swaggering gait, is flawless. Ray Liotta in the only role he can be proud of. Joe Pesci would successfully reprise the role of the murderous brute a few years later in Casino. A mafia saga that would be a big mistake not to watch.
()
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%
()
It may not be the best film among gangster movies, but it is certainly a significant above-average. In comparison, for example, with the French film A Prophet, it lacks the feeling of absolute authenticity and, on the other hand, I feel a certain, albeit not big, effort to make the gangster environment more attractive, which is understandable for commercial reasons. Probably the most remarkable role by Ray Liotta, who later couldn't capitalize his talent as he probably imagined. The film depicts the arrival of an ambitious boy among the local gang and his gradual rise in the criminal environment, which eventually leads to his arrest and cooperation with the police. Scorsese is an experienced director and in these waters, he feels at home, and he relied on a number of top actors perfectly corresponding to the viewer's ideas about mafia bosses and their buddies. Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci already have a patent for similar roles. Overall impression: 90%.
()
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."
()
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.
()
Ads