There have been so many movies about gangsters that a cynic might question the need for another one. The rise and fall, the corruption, the violence, the betrayals, the easy money, the crimes and inevitable punishment. The themes are familiar and entertaining, but is there anything new that can be said about them?

Perhaps so, if you can do it with style. Director Martin Scorcese first drew attention with the gritty street drama Mean Streets (1973). He returns to the gangsters in Goodfellas, but it is a very different film. There's much comic relief, especially provided by Joe Pesci. The colors and fashions are stronger. Here, the hoodlums dress with some flair. The direction is fast-paced, and well-selected rock classics help to evoke the era.

Goodfellas is a lengthy film at 146 minutes, but then it has much ground to cover. Based on the autobiographical bestseller "Wiseguy", it tells the true story of Henry Hill. While still a teenager, Hill (Christopher Serrone) wins the favor of local gangsters by taking the fall when caught peddling stolen cigarettes.

As the setting moves from the 1950s through the early 1980s, Hill (now played by Ray Liotta) has joined the ranks of the gangsters. Along with his mentors Tommy (Joe Pesci) and Jimmy (Robert De Niro), he is an enforcer. He also participates in murder, arson, and burglary. Distributing cocaine proves to be his downfall, however. He becomes addicted to the white powder, and loses the support of old-fashioned mob kingpin Paulie (Paul Sorvino).

Scorcese is careful not to make Henry Hill too unsympathetic. Tommy and Jimmy are much more brutal and violent, while Hill actually tries to help some of the victims. While not the cold blooded killer that Jimmy is, Hill is still his friend and accomplice. He believes that the commonplace life of eight hour shifts and a weekly paycheck is for losers. As a wiseguy, someone who knows the score, he can take whatever he wants.

Paulie's peaceful family life is contrasted with that of Hill, who juggles wife Karen (Lorraine Bracco) with several mistresses. Karen is too perceptive to look the other way, but she also becomes corrupted by the easy money and glamorous lifestyle. Their marriage only fails after he is forced to become a working stiff, 'just like everybody else'.

Scorcese cast his parents in minor supporting roles. Catherine Scorcese plays Pesci's clueless mother, while Charles Scorcese is the prison cook with a penchant for onions.

Goodfellas was nominated for six Academy Awards, including the prestigious categories of Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay. Lorraine Bracco received a supporting actress nomination, while Joe Pesci won the film's only Oscar, for Best Supporting Actor.

Pesci had been nominated ten years earlier in the same category for Scorcese's Raging Bull. His signature scene in that film was bashing hapless Frank Vincent with a car door; in Goodfellas he goes even farther. Vincent would finally get revenge on Pesci in Casino.

Frank Vincent has played gangsters as often as Robert De Niro. He has a fine supporting role in Get Shorty. Meanwhile, De Niro has made a career out of playing street toughs. His big break came in Scorcese's Mean Streets, and had another celebrated leading role with the legendary directory in Taxi Driver. He also played gangsters in his two best films, The Godfather Part II and Once Upon a Time in America. Given the quantity of excellent films that he has been a part of, De Niro has to be considered as the greatest living actor. (88/100)

Visit me at filmsgraded.com

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older