GoodFellas (Two-Disc Special Edition)
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Movie Reviews of GoodFellas (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Movie Review: Ersatz Godfather
Summary: 3 Stars
Goodfellas is a good movie, destined to stamp its mark on the modern age. It is a sort of ersatz Godfather - tighter, easier, more accessible than the great Coppola Trilogy (or rather, parts I and II). Scorsese uses a fast paced, dialogue heavy, boiler plated filmic style to tell the story (based on the true one) of mob informer Henry Hill. Perhaps because he uses a real story as his base, it has an oddly lopsided narrative structure - the film ascends to a nasty and brilliant climax two thirds of the way through, culminating in the famous 'Layla' scene - the Jim Gordon piano the musical background to a number of 'whacked' bodies turning up all over town. But by the end the pace has fizzled a little, and the last third is fairly thin fare given the explosive might of what has gone before.
The film is gangster lite - the customs, routines, tropes, jargon are explained frequently by a rather intrusive voiceover. None of the dark roiling of the great gangster films - brutal killings with no explanation. Still, it is a great cast and the movie is brilliantly filmed. Liotta looks a little overwhelmed at the role he has landed, but De Niro is sublime, and Lorraine Bracco is beautiful, brash and vulnerable as Hill's no nonsense Jewish wife from the five towns.
Movie Review: A great 90-minute movie dragged out over two-and-a-half hours
Summary: 3 Stars
Following the progress of gangster Ray Liotta and his relationship with mentors Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci, Goodfellas is the kind of film you'll either think is a masterpiece or wonder what all the fuss was about. Performances are all outstanding, Scorsese's direction energetic and innovative, but somewhere around the halfway point you may wonder where it's going and come to the conclusion that great performances and grandstanding direction is all its about. There's no shortage of outstanding scenes but the film becomes increasingly repetitive as it underlines and escalates its variations on a theme until it feels like it's all style with nothing more underneath than a two-and-a-half hour episode of Lifestyles of the Rich and Infamous.
Good extras on the two-disc version, but it's hard to buy into all the hype for the film.
Movie Review: Fuhgeddaboudit
Summary: 5 Stars
Hadn't seen Goodfellas in years, last night's screening reminded me how close to perfect this movie is.
Scorsese and company really hit it out of the park here. I actually think Liotta is better than DeNiro, who is tremendous. As are Pesci and Bracco. Everything feels authentic; these folks clearly grew up amongst real wiseguys and convey the atmosphere perfectly.
What really lifts this flick above, however, is the perfect pacing and editing. The story moves tightly and quickly forward, with few wasted moments despite its length.
It's also quite funny at times, though I always question whether making truly evil folks humorous (some of the real old-school wiseguys were not very funny) is a smart idea, but it's art, so each to his own.
One thing for sure: the Sopranos pulled at least half their cast from this movie! Why mess with success?
I disagree with Amazoon's own reviewer who calls this as good as the Godfather, though. As excellent as Goodfellas is, the first two Godfathers achieve a level of greatness and gravitas that few other movies ever have.
Nonetheless, Goodfellas is a complete classic. If only all movies moved this well and looked this good and had this many memorable performances...
Movie Review: Timeless classic...
Summary: 5 Stars
Timeless mob cult-classic brilliantly restored and preserved in highest quality possible today - 5.1 audio and Full HD video. What more can You want?Movie Review: GoodFellas - What more is there to say?
Summary: 5 Stars
GoodFellas [Blu-ray]
Well, a little more . . . Take one of the best Gangster movies ever, upgrade the video quality to the newest high definition standard, and the best gets better.