So, I've been demanded on the spot to bust out a review tonight... I didn't know what to review, really. I also have no idea what I'm going to write ahead of time on this one, but I'll give it a whirl with Goodfellas. Why? No particular reason. I guess because it's pretty fresh on my mind from the last viewing, and I know what I like and dislike when it comes to this film.
For a lot of people. Goodfellas is Martin Scorsese's best work. That's entirely understandable, in a way. After all, it's one of his most accessible movies, and it has a story that a lot of people will latch on to. I mean, damn... who doesn't like a good gangster flick, after all? It has all of the great American values - violence, drugs, and sex. What? You thought we valued chastity? Psh... this ain't 500 A.D. This is 2010, an era of thriving porn industry. The post-video nasty era, the post-Requiem for a Dream era... I could've just summed tht up by saying, "It's the 80s again." If only there were still video-nasties...
I digress. GoodFellas is just a damn fine flick in general. There's a lot to like about it: the stylistic flare, the paranoid plot, Robert DeNiro being all deceptively nice-like, and of course, any movie's main attraction: Joe Pesci. Though I've never met the man in real life, it's easy to imagine that he carries a gun at all times and will shoot someone because they gripped his hand too tight when they shook it.
Pictured: Joe Pesci at In-N-Out Burger
Pesci won an academy award for his portrayal of the downright insane Tommy DeVito. Deservedly so, too. He just outshines the rest of the (still great) cast. You may have noticed something here: every character has some insane flaw. Each of them is facilitating the undermining of their own lives in a way. Liotta is too stubborn and ignorant to realize the trouble he's getting into, Pesci is ruffling too many feathers, DeNiro is a paranoid mess, and Chuck Low (playing Morrie) brings them all together in a way that's really not going to end smoothly. It's important for me to explain why I'm pointing all of this out: the film is leading towards a very tense ending, and the inevitble cluster-fuck that's going to pursue is a direct result of their lifestyle. They life of the gangster is glorious, sure... but everyone's ride is going to have it's end. It isn't all gratifying, as some have built it up to be. That's the Goodstuff.
What's wrong with this movie? Gosh, the biggest problem is something that would become worse 10-fold in Casino: the voiceover narration. I've always thought of the voiceover as the weakest form of storytelling, as it betrays one of my movie virtues: it tells, it doesn't show. So what we get are very compressed moments that are gone in a flash... it's tough to keep up. Not to mention some moments don't need the voiceover in any shape or form (Liotta's first date, e.g.). Super-frustrating.
Most people will be able to get past that, and I don't blame them. It's restrained enough that it doesn't become distracting. So as that is the main negative aspect, I can't complain too much. This is just a damn good movie, and one that deserves to be watched. Peep the Samuel L. Jackson bit part as Stacks. That's just sweet.
Also at In-N-Out Burger... Probably watching Joe Pesci
The movie actually made itself more gangster by total accident! That's the power of GoodFellas, and that's why you need to watch it for yourself.
Overall - 8. Voiceovers be damned, I wanna go shoot something now.... Lesson not learned? A great movie from a great director. No surprises there.
What's wrong with this movie? Gosh, the biggest problem is something that would become worse 10-fold in Casino: the voiceover narration. I've always thought of the voiceover as the weakest form of storytelling, as it betrays one of my movie virtues: it tells, it doesn't show. So what we get are very compressed moments that are gone in a flash... it's tough to keep up. Not to mention some moments don't need the voiceover in any shape or form (Liotta's first date, e.g.). Super-frustrating.
Most people will be able to get past that, and I don't blame them. It's restrained enough that it doesn't become distracting. So as that is the main negative aspect, I can't complain too much. This is just a damn good movie, and one that deserves to be watched. Peep the Samuel L. Jackson bit part as Stacks. That's just sweet.
Also at In-N-Out Burger... Probably watching Joe Pesci
The movie actually made itself more gangster by total accident! That's the power of GoodFellas, and that's why you need to watch it for yourself.
Overall - 8. Voiceovers be damned, I wanna go shoot something now.... Lesson not learned? A great movie from a great director. No surprises there.
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