Goodfellas (1990)

Goodfellas

• As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster. Coming in as the 10th perfect movie I’ve rated, this one is just so ridiculously good, as well as one of the best movies ever made. The first time I watched this, it was one of the best movie experiences I’ve ever had. It wasn’t anything special, I was just sitting on the couch with Panda Express, and I enjoyed every second of it. After I finished the movie, I was just amazed by how good it was. I seriously can’t stress enough how good this is. The story is absolutely fantastic, and I always love a really good gangster movie. The way the story is told and structured is literally perfect. The overall narration from Henry Hill tells the story in an interesting way, and it keeps your attention the entire time. I also really like the way you get to see how Henry got started into the gangster business. With most crime movies, you don’t usually get to see the main character’s childhood, and how he was influenced by those around him. But, in this one, watching Henry grow up is really intriguing and entertaining. And like I said, the narration helps push his story forward, without cramming in too much or getting too confusing. I also think seeing almost his entire life (up until the end of the movie) is a great way to show how everything went down. All the characters do a great job of progressing the story as well. The trio of Liotta, De Niro, and Pesci is one of the best movie trio’s you will ever see. Each one has a huge role in the movie, which I enjoy. Not only are their characters great, but the acting is phenomenal and extremely convincing. This is definitely Liotta’s best role, and definitely my favorite role of Pesci’s. I also really enjoyed Paul Sorvino, who has a kind of Godfather-esque character. The music selection is also beautiful. Not only is the original score great, but the songs chosen to be in the soundtrack help authenticate the setting. This movie also has one of the best openings and endings in cinema history. The final clip of Pesci firing his gun at the camera is my favorite ending shot of all time, and it actually mirrors the ending shot of The Great Train Robbery. There’s a whole lot more I want to say, but I’ll go ahead and end it here. Overall, this movie is freaking perfect, and I’d highly recommend it to all crime fans. It’s definitely one of Scorsese’s best films to date, and my personal favorite of his (Taxi Driver is an extremely close second). And, this movie has one of the best posters in the history of this planet. This film is officially Berry Approved, so go watch it now!