Goodfellas

Scorsese is a household name in the realm of mafia films today, and Goodfellas, made by him, is a shining diamond that stands out from afar. Like The Godfather, Goodfellas doesn’t rely on heavy doses of action and shootouts, but rather on a well-crafted story, incredibly witty dialogues, and the best ensemble cast around. The main trio of actors made no mistakes throughout the film that would cause me to rethink my opinion. The dialogues delivered by Liotta as the narrator had me laughing out loud multiple times. De Niro's stone-faced demeanor was flawless once again. And Pesci? He’s a demon who undoubtedly deserved an Oscar for his supporting role. I wouldn’t want to befriend such a hot-headed man with a gun at his side, knowing I could lose my head at any moment. If the other actors shone, Joe Pesci simply doesn’t seem like he’s from this planet. An unforgettable performance, in my opinion. Another strength of the film was its portrayal of the absurdities in the everyday lives of mobsters, which a normal person can hardly imagine. It’s a true experience that won’t easily fade from my memory. And the scene with Pesci’s removal? I haven’t seen such an unpredictable and brilliantly conceived scene in a long time. I give it 91%. (01/27/2017)

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% (06/20/2015)

Goodfellas is awesome, it exudes life experience and it is very likely one Martin Scorsese’s best film. Robert De Niro is excellent and Joe Pesci is truly unforgettable and deservedly received an Oscar. A masterpiece of world cinematography. (03/10/2004)

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. (09/19/2007)

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. (08/24/2007)