Goodfellas

From time to time over the last few years, someone would mention Goodfellas, and I would have to mention that I'd never seen it. Incredulous looks would follow. Incredulous looks begone! Coming in at #94 on the AFI list, everything about Goodfellas is excellently executed. My one complaint is that the story itself seems formulaic, but since it's based on a real story, it's not like they could introduce aliens, unnecessary explosions, and chicken & sausage gumbo. Gumbo-less but spaghetti-filled, Goodfellas comes to us from 1990, the same year that brought us Home Alone, Ghost, and Kindergarten Cop.

Actors you'll recognize: Robert DeNiro, Ray Liotta, Joe Pesci, Lorraine Bracco, Paul Sorvino, and Samuel L. Jackson.

Actors you've seen but may not recognize (HOLY COW, THAT GUY ON "AMERICAN IDOL" JUST SANG "JIGGLY PUFF"!! THAT'S NOT EVEN A SONG, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. JIGGLY PUFF IS A POKEMON CHARACTER. ALL POKEMON CHARACTERS SPEAK BY SAYING THEIR OWN NAMES OVER AND OVER. JIGGLY PUFF SINGS HIS NAME WHEN HE ATTACKS, AND THAT GUY JUST SANG THE JIGGLY PUFF SONG. ALL THE SAINTS OF HEAVEN, HELP ME): Debi Mazar, Vincent Pastore, Michael Imperioli, Tony Sirico, and a whole host of central casting Italian mob-type actors.

Violent, curse-filled, and dramatic. That describes 80-85% of all the scenes in the movie in one way or another. But it's all so well done. Joe Pesci is funny as Tommy DeVito, and his "What do you mean I'm funny?" scene may be the most-quoted of the last 15 years. (I would sort of hope that "You were the chosen one!" would make the leap, but probably not). Ray Liotta as Henry Hill makes you care about him and what happens to him. Robert DeNiro's very good as Jimmy Conway. (AAAAHHHH!! This girl is murdering "O Holy Night". Excommunicate her from whatever religion she belongs to immediately. No, sweetie, I will NOT be buying your album soon. I don't even buy the albums of artists I like) Lorraine Bracco's character as mob wife Karen Hill is very well done. Starts out naive, then once she learns what things are really about, she's grown so accustomed to the lifestyle that she first turns her head, then gets involved herself.

Goodfellas is about living the life. They show the glamour, they show the risks, and they're very honest and realistic about the whole thing. There are rules. Obey them. You will socialize in very small circles. In the long run, you will lose, so be sure it's a tradeoff you want to make (of course, John Maynard Keynes said "In the long run, we're all dead"). If you're a non-mob guy and you get involved with the mob, you're going to end up getting screwed.

Good, good movie.