GOODFELLAS. Directed by Martin Scorsese; written by Nicholas Pileggi and Martin Scorsese; produced by Irwin Winkler for Warner Bros. Starring Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci and Lorraine Bracco. Rated R.
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GoodFellas is a GoodMovie. It's not for all tastes to be sure, since it's 1) extremely violent; 2) depressing and 3) long. If you're the kind of moviegoer who'd yell "Strike Three!" after that description, then you should pass GoodFellas up.
If, on the other hand, you can take some graphic violence, a good bit of truly sick humor and a cast of characters almost completely devoid of any admirable qualities—all in the cause of Cinematic Art—then you probably shouldn't miss it.
Warnings out of the way, GoodFellas is an outstanding picture which traces one gangster's rise and fall through the middle ranks of the mob. The acting is flawless. Even though we've seen these guys at least a few times in different roles, they appear to be born as the people they play here.
De Niro has never been better. Liotta stakes a claim to superstar status. And Pesci is completely amazing, if also completely repellent.
The more technical side of the movie is interesting, too, and it complements, rather than distracts from the performances. Scorsese uses unusual camera angles and shots, even stop-action.
The movie has two narrators, also, instead of the usual one; it's an interesting and effective innovation.
Even the music on the soundtrack is perfect. Sometimes the pop songs don't explicitly fit the action, but their emotional punch is always on target.
What keeps the artistic achievement of GoodFellas from being too exhilarating, however, is the completely amoral tone of the movie, which makes no judgements about the actions it depicts.
Henry (Liotta) is the main character of the piece, and he is only slightly less despicable than his buddies.
In addition, GoodFellas is really quite funny, even in some of its darkest moments. You may find yourself laughing against your will at some of the dialogue or narration, and it may be unsettling to see how much enjoyment others in the audience get out of this blackest of black humor.
Altogether, GoodFellas continues the Scorsese tradition (remember Taxi Driver?) of movies that are disturbing as they are fascinating.
October 10, 1990