Director: Martin Scorsese
Academy Awards:
- Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Joe Pesci)
Scorsese brilliantly tells a captivating tale covering 30 years of life in the mafia. Based on a true story, Goodfellas follows gangster Henry Hill (Ray Liotta) as he sparks into a life of organized crime, accompanied by fellow crime men Jimmy Conway (Robert De Niro) and Tommy DeVito (Joe Pesci). From the time he was 15, Hill always wanted to be a gangster, and three decades later, he reaps the fruits of his labor.
It took me a while to get around to this one, but I'm really glad I finally found a few hours to squeeze it in. I thought the acting was top notch, especially Lorraine Bracco's portrayal of Henry's wife, Karen. Her character shows us a rare side of the crime film: the weary wife of a mobster. As for the story, its telling feels highly realistic, which is sometimes hard to find in films based on true events. It was also interesting to see the art direction adapt as the film progressed from the 50's to the 80's.
Weighed against one another, I believe I enjoyed Scorsese's The Departed more, but, in closing, I'm glad Goodfellas has a new home on my film shelf.
