Goodfellas

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)

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)

I simply don't remember "The Godfather", I can't remember everything, even though I have seen this legendary movie as well. However, I am quite curious if it is really that brilliant because it has a huge competition in "The Sopranos". Martin Scorsese showcases his knowledge of the Italian-American environment and once again shows us how capable he is of capturing human stories, especially the destruction of their lives. Robert De Niro takes a step back this time to allow Joe Pesci and Ray Liotta to stand out much more, especially for Liotta, it is definitely a life-changing role. (05/11/2013)

Scorsese’s grand work about gangsters from a slightly different perspective than we are used to, for instance, in The Godfather. This isn’t about the top ranks of the Mafia, but simply about the pawns for whom this is a job like any other. Perfect acting performances and unforgettable dialogs are just the tip of the iceberg of this perfectly cut and faceted diamond. (24/08/2007)

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)