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GoodFellas

GoodFellas

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: unflinching
Review: if martin scorses made any more movies about gangsters we would have well more movies about gangsters done by martin scorses but seriously folks if this movie isnt great its well um well its great lets put it like that but dont forget mean streets or raging bull of course taxi driver and casino were a bit over rated but what the hell they were good

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Funny, how?
Review: Goodfellas is a masterpiece of pacing a film. It moves along so swiftly that you'll be surprised at how long you've been watching it.

There's little plot in Goodfellas. The film serves as an opportunity to experience the Mafia lifestyle firsthand. We see the highs and the many lows that come with this dangerous lifestyle.

Henry Hill (played by the underrated Liotta) is an Irish boy who grew up and into the world of gangsters. As a boy, he has a romanticised view of the world and this doesn't really change as he gets older. He sees the Mafia as a cool gang. However, he's smart enough not to cross any of the trigger happy members. He only comes close once, funny how?

Pesci's Oscar winning turn as the disturbed Tommy DeVito is a horror to behold. While only being a supporting character, we know trouble is around the corner when DeVito is on screen. De Niro underplays his role. His character is a shifty one whose paranoia gets the better of him in the end.

Bracco is the emotional centre of the movie. A Jewish girl, she marries Henry, and becomes enamoured with this world of Pauls and Marys. Her life gets tougher as Henry conducts numerous affairs and yet she knows she can't live without the financial stability that the Mafia brings.

Scorsese's direction is always personal. He likes to make his presence felt. And so we get to see tricks like comedic narration ("Johnny Two-Times, because he says everything twice - "I'm going to the bathroom the bathroom"); twisted narrative, the beginning becomes the middle; and most strangely, a courtroom confession by Henry delivered directly to the camera. While some directors overuse their tricks, Scorsese only uses them when they're necessary, when they'll work.

He's the best director of his generation and this may well be his masterpiece.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Scorcese's Best
Review: Though I love Taxi Driver and Raging Bull, I must say Goodfellas is my favorite Scorcese movie. The other two movies were great dramatic pieces, but this movie is just to damn cool. First of all the pacing is beautiful. This thing moves like gangbusters for the whole movie. The second is the editing. The quick cuts add a ton to the movie. Next is my all time favorite actor Robert De Niro. Though in a smaller part than in other Scorcese pictures, he still puts in a good performance. Joe Pesci is also great as Tommy DeVito rightfully won the best supporting actor award. So overall, being the Scorcese afficiando that I am, Goodfellas stands out as the best of Scorceses career. Raging Bull had better acting, Taxi Driver was more disturbing but the clicher has to be the "how am I funny" scene which is classic.
So if you like the Sopranos or any other gangster movie see Goodfellas.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The greatest gangster movie ever (sorry, Godfather)
Review: This is the ultimate Mafia motion picture on so many levels. First, Martin Scorcese combines elements of the finest in filmaking technique, incorporating cinematography, lighting, and pace in a way rarely seen in modern cinema. Next, the performance and acting of Ray Liotta, Robert Deniro, Joe Pesci, etc, sets the standard of believability and execution in an incredible fashion. Lastly, the soundtrack has so much in the way of effect that hearing the first few bars of any of the songs today instantly takes me back to the exact scene in the movie.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: I agree Juan Gorchata
Review: Dis is a great moovie. I recomend it to efryone. I juss wanna say that Juan I know chu. I see chu bepor. 2 cheers ago I marry Maria. Chee no big. Chee only 150 pounds.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The wise guys
Review: The movie Goodfellas gives a great account of life in the mob. This movie told from the character Henry played by Ray Liotta perspective gives you an insight on three decades of mob life. The main plot of the movie is about an Irish-Italian boy who dreamed about being in the mafia and how he actually got a chance to do so. The wonderful friendship between Jimmy played by Robert De Niro, Tommy played by Joe Pesci, and Henry as they grew from petty crimes to big time heist was wonderfully orchestrated by the director. As if not interesting enough, the director grabs more of your attention when rules are broken and people start getting whack. Henry who at this point has turn into a drug addict struggles to stay alive. This movie keep you in suspense about what will happen to Henry in the end.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The best Mob movie
Review: The movie Goodfellas gives a great account of life in the mob. The movie told from the character Henry played by Ray Liotta perspective, it gives you an insight of three decades of moblife. The main plot of the movie is about an Irish-Italian boy who dreamed about being in the mafia and how he actually got a chance to do so. The wonderful friendship between Jimmy played by Robert De Niro, Tommy played by Joe Pesci, and Henry as they grew up from petty crimes to big time heist. As if is not interesting enough, the director grabs more of your attention when rules are broken and people start getting whack. Henry who at this time has turn into crack head struggles to stay alive.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: If you have not seen it yet, see it now.
Review: This movie is a great ganster film with great stars like Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta, and Joe Pesci. Speaking of Joe Pesci, I saw him once while I was walking in the streets of L.A. He was picking up some clothing from the cleaners when I decided to get his autograph. I was about to walk up to him when I realized I had no pen or paper for his signiture, so I ran a block to my car to get something for him to sign. When I got to my car I checked in the glove compartment for pen and paper. All I found was a pencil and a scrap piece of paper which already had writing on it. I was going to have him sign the back when I realized that this scrap piece of paper was a shopping list my grandmother gave me a week before. She specifically asked me to buy the things on her list for a birthday party she was giving my grandfather, which was that same day. I only had 5 hours to buy everything and give it to my grandmother so she could prepare it for the party. Most of the things were hard to find, so I was driving all around L.A. in a panic. On my way to a store I was flagged down by a group of cholos drinking in front of some house. I thought I was going to get jumped, but when I got closer I realized I knew them all. They were my homies back in juvie hall about four years back. It was good to see them all. Lefty, Angel, Joker, Paco, Gordo, Siesta, and Doc. It was like a reunion. They asked me to stay and drink with them but I told them I only had time for a few because of my dilema. My homies always backed me up, so they said they would take care of it for me. They told me to stay in the house and drink a few beers while they all go out and find the things that I need. I agreed and they all left. 15 minutes later I heard a knock at the door. When I opened the door it was an old cholo all covered with tatts.He called himself El Gato. He asked for Doc and gave me a bag to give to him. But before he would leave he wanted me to take a hit of the blow to show him that I wasnt 5-O. So I took a hit and passed out like a chump. When I hit the floor El Gato dropped the bag and took off. He probably thought I died or something. An hour later my homies came back and found me unconscious on the floor. Doc recognized who the bag belonged to and immediately took my homies to El Gato's cribb so they could do some damage. After they took care of El Gato they came to my aid but couldnt get me up. I was out like a light. They didn't know what to do so they called Maria, Paco's sister, thinking maybe she could do something. When she got there she kissed me on the lips and I slowly opened my eyes. She was the first thing I saw. She was talking to me but I was a little disoriented. Looking at her lips move I started to get my berrings back. When I finally understood what she was saying I heard her say, " Aye Poppy, chu are de fairest one of all. Give me anudder kiss, babee!" As I looked at her I saw a 5 foot 2 inch, 180 pound 38 year old cha cha. Not gonna happen. I got my grandmothers stuff and got the heck out of there, with my homies yelling and laughing telling me to comeback and visit again. Anyways, If you havent seen Goodfellas yet, rent it or buy it. It's a great gangster movie.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Henry Hill
Review: This is the Story of Henry Hill.Played by Ray Liotta...there is a lot of killing and a lot of black comedy..Joe pesci plays a good little gangster roll in this film..It gave me a diffrent look at Mob life..Lorraine Braco plays Henry Hills wife Karen.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Nothing good about these fellas
Review: Pauline Kael wrote: "Martin Scorsese's "Goodfellas" has a lift." Well,
not for me it didn't. It's a well-made movie, tho the dialogue falls
flat at times: the colours, the lighting, the camera angles, it's
all very well done. Compare De Niro's "Bronx Tale" which all seems to
take place in boring daylight or brightly lit interiors. "Goodfellas" opens
with an atmospheric car interior. When the wiseguys get out and stand
around the boot (from which the strange knocking sound is coming), they
are lit by the ominously blood-red rear lights of the car.

But as for the characters, all I could think throughout this movie was
"they're stupid!" As in "Bronx Tale", the story is told (mostly) from one
point of view - Henry Hill, who, as a kid who lives in the area of a mob, admires them, then
grows up to be one of them. We see what he sees of them, but not what he sees
in them: without Henry's explanation, we would have no idea.

As Pauline Kael wrote, we see all the characters from the outside only -
I didn't get a sense of them from the inside at all. When a close friend
is assassinated by the very mob he's in, De Niro's character goes nuts,
but does it give him pause for thought? Does he question his loyalty?
Apparently not: he goes berserk, then gets over it, and life goes on
as before.

Joe Pesci's character offhandedly kills a young boy who annoyed him.
The cold-blooded murder seems to upset Henry Hill, but again it's only

momentary and quickly forgotten. Did this and other sickening acts of
violence (burying a body then having to dig it up again 6 months later,
for instance) lead him to turn traitor in the end? The movie gives no
clue.

When Henry runs out of luck and money, and comes to boss Pauly for
cash and forgiveness, he repents, and Pauly gives him something but
then turns his back forever. Because we don't know what is really
going on in Henry's mind, the tears of contrition sound and LOOK fake.
Henry is incensed at the tiny amount of money Pauly gives him (a mere
$3,200!), yet Pauly comes out of the scene with more moral integrity
and generosity of spirit than Henry. This makes Henry's final betrayal
seem an ignoble thing, and perhaps it's meant to.

The early part of the movie describes the early part of Henry Hill's
membership in the clan, and it's all positive - the thrills, the money, the glamour, the girls, the power. The latter part is how
all this unravels. Yet the movie's opening scene comes from the latter
part of the story, and therefore shows us the extremely violent side of being
a gangster right from the start. This doesn't make sense in terms of
narrative, only in it's shock value: it's certainly a scene that grabs
you by the gut, and makes you terrified of Joe Pesci's character from
then on in.

For me, the glitter and excitement of a gangster's life is so clearly outweighed
(in the movie) by the tawdriness, the violence, simply the consequences of a gangster's
actions that there was never a moment when I didn't think "they're complete idiots!",
and I think this is the movie's biggest detraction. Apparently Henry never thought
his wife might not like him having a mistress (she doesn't) and might do something
about it (she does!). When Henry and Jimmy beat up a recalcitrant client, they never
think his wife might not like it (she doesn't) and might go to the police (she does!).
When Tommy murders a "made man", all 3 realize he did a stupid thing, but pretty soon
they forget about it and assume everyone else does, too (they don't).

I didn't come out feeling uplifted or exhilirated; I didn't come out feeling I'd learned something about human nature, that gangsters are human and have the same doubts and hopes as the rest of humanity; instead I came out feeling terribly superior: these guys have garlic for brains, they're complete morons! Watch out for Henry's wife, Karen (Lorraine Bracco - a great performance). As the credits roll, we hear Sid Vicious doing his trashy send-up of Sinatra's famous "My Way", and for me that says it all: these guys thought they were it, but their very arrogance was rubbish, not even the nobility of a tragic downfall.


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