Goodfellas

A perfect portrait of the brutality and cruelty of people who assume the role of demigods who decide the life and death of others. De Niro, with his fluffy shoulders and swaggering gait, is flawless. Ray Liotta in the only role he can be proud of. Joe Pesci would successfully reprise the role of the murderous brute a few years later in Casino. A mafia saga that would be a big mistake not to watch. (13/04/2003)

It may not be the best film among gangster movies, but it is certainly a significant above-average. In comparison, for example, with the French film A Prophet, it lacks the feeling of absolute authenticity and, on the other hand, I feel a certain, albeit not big, effort to make the gangster environment more attractive, which is understandable for commercial reasons. Probably the most remarkable role by Ray Liotta, who later couldn't capitalize his talent as he probably imagined. The film depicts the arrival of an ambitious boy among the local gang and his gradual rise in the criminal environment, which eventually leads to his arrest and cooperation with the police. Scorsese is an experienced director and in these waters, he feels at home, and he relied on a number of top actors perfectly corresponding to the viewer's ideas about mafia bosses and their buddies. Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci already have a patent for similar roles. Overall impression: 90%. (11/03/2010)

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. (09/03/2004)

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% (20/06/2015)

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. (19/09/2007)