Goodfellas, based on the book by Nicholas Pileggi - 11 out of 10

Goodfellas, based on the book by Nicholas Pileggi
11 out of 10


Goodfellas is not just a classic, it is beyond that, part of the History of Cinema, one of the best ten motion pictures ever made, included on various prestigious lists, up there with the very best.

The story of Henry Hill aka the unforgettable Ray Liotta is used as teaching material, Goodfellas is referenced a myriad times...yesterday, Seth Meyers was joking on his show that the voiceover from the Goodfellas would be appropriate when the latest offense is committed in The White House, by the chief Wise Guy and his acolytes.
We learn how becoming a member of the syndicate was so attractive for the adolescent Henry Hill, who would get minor assignments in the first place, he would asked to become an arsonist and then would graduate to very serious crimes.
His honest family would reject this perspective, his father would beat the boy, up to the point where the mobsters would stop the mailman from delivering bad news from school and eventually it would become to late to change the career of the teenager who is now gaining so much money from his participation in illegal activities.

He is more or less protected by Paul Cicero aka Paulie, played by the remarkable Paul Sorvino - indeed, every single artist in the cast is fantastic.
The mobsters would appreciate when the young Henry is caught by the police - well, not this exactly - and he does not say a word about the others...accomplices, source of the contraband cigarettes...he does not 'rat' on anyone in other words.

The scene where we are introduced to the various Goodfellas has become legendary...as aforementioned, the whole film is iconic.
Martin Scorsese described the technique he had used in a documentary called American Cinema.

Each mobster talks to the left of the person who walks him and explains the nicknames, as they all parade in front of the camera, that is moving through the restaurant they all frequent and which would soon become a Paulie protectorate, given that he is asked to share in the profits and patronize the place.
This happens after the famous 'what do you mean I'm funny...funny how?!' Scene.
Crazy Tommy DeVito aka the superb Joe Pesci is furious when Henry says he is funny, or at least he acts that way, only to give way to laughter.

Still, in the next few seconds, after everyone is entertained by his playing with fire, the owner of the place comes with the bill, saying politely that he had accumulated seven thousand dollars in debt.
In a flash, Tommy takes a bottle and smashes it on the head of the man who had asked him to be the godfather for his child.

Tommy is a vicious killer, sadistic to the point where he kills the poor young man who serves them drinks when they play poker, after he had shot him in the foot just to...make him dance and more importantly, because he takes pleasure in the pain he inflicts.
Together with his best friend, James Conway called Jimmy aka the majestic Robert De Niro, another monstrous figure, Tommy would kill a made man, member of the Italian Mafia and that could be the end of him.

We cannot seriously call Goodfellas educational on some levels, although being the chef d'oeuvre that it is, watching it should be required homework for its beauty, glorious acting, fabulous story, marvelous direction and the work of art that it is.
It is instructive to learn how a made man cannot touched, unless permission is given by the leaders, the godfathers, Henry and Jimmy cannot be accepted, on account of their Irish side,one has to be one hundred percent Italian, trace all its ancestors back to the home country to join this mob.

The Godfather and Goodfellas are the best films on the Mafia and together are part of the World Heritage and High Art.
While The Godfather has been criticized- people have an inherent tendency to see the negative even where there is perfection...'the mind is its own place, it can make hell out of heaven and heaven out of hell'- for presenting a glamorous view of the mobsters, Godfellas makes it clear how vicious, despicable, violent, cruel, heartless those people are.

It is the Ultimate Masterpiece!