GoodFellas
Before Goodfellas, I honestly didn’t even know who Ray Liotta was.
After Goodfellas, I’ll never forget him.
Liotta absolutely owned the screen. He made Robert De Niro look like a side character at times. That’s how electrifying his presence was.
"As far as I can remember I always wanted to be a gangster, cause being a gangster was better than being the president of the United States." You instantly knew this was going to be something special. He was handsome, charming, dangerous, unpredictable. Everything you want in a gangster film protagonist. Without a doubt, this performance cracks my top 10 performances of all time. No hesitations at all.
Joe Pesci is a Pure Genius. He is a different breed of actor. That “funny how?” scene? I swear he almost had me.“Do I amuse you? Do I look like a fucking clown to you?” CHILLS. He switches from playful to deadly in a split second. That’s the mark of a master.
And of course… Robert De Niro. You don’t review him. You don’t question him. He’s cinema royalty. He doesn’t need validation .He has already shown the world what he’s capable of. His presence completes the trio. Without him, the film simply wouldn’t feel whole.
This movie firmly cemented why someone like me calls Martin Scorsese their favourite director. His style, his storytelling, his pacing, his camera work, everything is spot on. The man doesn’t disappoint. He creates worlds you get lost in and characters you can’t look away from.
Goodfellas is not just one of the best crime films ever made. It’s in the top 3 without any debate. The performances are legendary. The direction is flawless. The screenplay is perfect.
This isn’t one of the best movies in cinema. This is cinema.