GoodFellas (1990)
★★★★½ — GoodFellas (1990)
GoodFellas is based on Nicholas Pileggi's 1985 non-fiction book Wiseguy, which Pileggi co-adapted with Scorsese for the screen. It tells the true story of Henry Hill, a New York mobster who eventually turned FBI informant, and whose testimony helped bring down figures in the Lucchese crime family. Scorsese made it coming off The Last Temptation of Christ (1988) and the segment work on New York Stories (1989), and it represented something of a return to the New York crime territory he'd explored in Mean Streets back in 1973. Ray Liotta, relatively little-known at the time outside of Something Wild (1986), landed the lead role of Hill, while Joe Pesci's performance as Tommy DeVito would earn him the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
“as far back as I can remember” Now this is how you tell a gangster story. Scorsese firing on all cylinders. Fast-paced, stylish, brutal, and totally gripping from start to finish. You’re dropped into the world of Henry Hill and it just doesn’t let go. The storytelling is masterful. That voiceover, the constant sense of motion, the “as far back as I can remember” opener… it’s all iconic. The rise and fall arc is pitch-perfect and never drags. Every scene feels purposeful, electric. Acting-wise it's top-tier. Ray Liotta gives a career-best performance. De Niro is excellent, but Joe Pesci absolutely steals the show as dangerous, unhinged, hilarious. You don’t know whether to laugh or brace yourself every time he’s on screen. It’s slick, stylish cinema but never loses the grime and danger underneath. Funny, disturbing, and deeply human. It’s not just one of the best gangster films ever made. It’s one of the best films full stop.
Rating: ★★★★½ | Year: 1990 | Watched: 2025-04-09
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Related on Movies With Macca
More from Martin Scorsese: Italianamerican (1974) · The King of Comedy (1982) · Gangs of New York (2002) · Cape Fear (1991)
More with Robert De Niro: The Untouchables (1987) · The King of Comedy (1982) · Shark Tale (2004) · Little Fockers (2010)
More from the 1990s: Lessons of Darkness (1992) · Shinjuku Boys (1995) · Blue (1993) · Cemetery Man (1994)
More drama: Viy (1967) · Wonder (2017) · A Better Tomorrow (1986) · Beautiful Boy (2018)
More crime: A Better Tomorrow (1986) · Angst (1983) · Stolen Face (1952) · Cairo Station (1958)
