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Slimming World Magazine

Health & Fitness and Magazines & Newspapers

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Slimming World is the UK’s best-selling slimming title. We’re dedicated to making your slimming...

The Thief (The Queen's Thief #1)

Megan Whalen Turner

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Discover the world of the Queen's Thief New York Times-bestselling author Megan Whalen Turner's...

BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated GoodFellas (1990) in Movies

Jun 26, 2020

GoodFellas (1990)

1990 | Crime, Drama, Thriller

8.6

(70 Ratings)

Movie Rating Watch

LIKE A FINE WINE - gets better with age

I have to admit, when I first watched GOODFELLAS 30 years ago, I thought it was "good" but not "great".

The years and subsequent viewings of this epic masterpiece has slowly changed my mind.

Directed by one of the finest Directors of all-time, GOODFELLAS is based on the real-life experience of former "Wiseguy" Nicholas Pileggi (from his book) and depicts mob life in New York City in the 1960's and the 1970's.

Scorcese knows this world and it's looks & feels and you can sense that world while watching this movie. Whether it's the clothing, the set decorations, the vocal inflections or the music choices, Scorcese meticulously blends all of the minutiae of these eras and these people extremely effectively to draw a vivid picture of people - and gangsters - of another era.

It helps tremendously that he has an "A" cast to inherit the characters. Robert DeNiro shows his ferocious personae as a "force to be reckoned with" as legendary (their word) mobster Jimmy Conway. He has a danger to him that could erupt at any time, but he also has something else - probably even more dangerous - he's smart and wily and will meticulously plan his crimes out. This makes him stand out in a world where most are acting out of impulse. Joe Pesci, rightfully, won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his take on psychopathic gangster Tommy DeVito. What struck me on this viewing of the film was how small a role in this film that Tommy is. Pesci is not on-screen all that much, but for the scenes that he is in, he is incredibly powerful. You can see that Tommy is dangerous and needs to be handled with "kit gloves".

Scorcese took a chance by centering this film on an unknown actor on who's shoulders that this film will stand or fall - and he chose wisely - for Ray Liotta's performance as Henry Hill is fascinating to watch. He has a charisma and charm to him that draws you in, but there is also an air about him that repels you away at the same time. Scorcese cast another unknown, Lorraine Bracco as Henry's wife, Karen Hill, who is drawn towards the power and danger of Henry (and his world). Bracco was nominated for an Oscar and Liotta never came close to this level of performance for the rest of his career.

Credit, therefore, must be given to the Directorial job that Scorcese put in on this film. This is his masterpiece (despite what the Oscars say). Years from now when scholars look back on his career, this (along with Raging Bull) will be the films that are shown (not THE DEPARTED - the film that he, finally, won his Oscar for).

I find more and more nuance and richness to this film upon subsequent re-watches, and I drank those in on this viewing. GOODFELLAS is like a fine wine, it gets better with age.

Letter Grade: A

9 stars out of 10 (and you can take that to the Bank(OfMarquis)

Kudos

Becs (244 KP) rated Death of a Salesman in Books

Oct 2, 2019

Wow. Death of a Salesman was a different style of a literary classic that I was honestly never expecting. It grabbed my emotions and pulled on my heartstrings. The plot contained a rollercoaster of events, and I’ll admit, there were a few times I was utterly confused and wanted to throw the book across the room. But towards the end of the ride, I was able to understand what each issue each of the characters had and what it meant to them.

Understanding the pain that Willy was going through. Understanding the issues Biff has with stealing from jobs. Understanding Happy’s need to sleep around. Bringing to light the issue of a salesman’s career and how the job market was going downhill. Death of a Salesman is worth a read or a couple of rereads!

Genre: Literary Classic, plays

Audience: Young Adult and Adults

Interests: Plays, salesmen, American Dreams, family-ties

Quality: The quality of Death of a Salesman is not one you can take lightly. There are moments throughout the play that a younger version of myself would never be able to understand until I experienced the real world for myself. Now, I understand what it’s like losing a job you hoped to have for the rest of your life. Becoming depressed to the point that you just don’t know what to do anymore regarding your family other than hoping that they can make ends meet when you’re gone.

Insights: Death of a Salesman shows that dreams are not always sunny beaches and sprinkles. But that it contains a dark side that will rip your happiness and everything you’ve lived for into a million tiny pieces that will never be able to be fixed again.

Favorite Quotes: “The jungle is dark but full of diamonds, Willy.”

“I realized what a ridiculous lie my whole life has been.”

“I stopped in the middle of that building and I saw — the sky. I saw the things that I love in this world. The work and the food and time to sit and smoke. And I looked at the pen and said to myself, what the hell am I grabbing this for? Why am I trying to become what I don’t want to be? What am I doing in an office, making a contemptuous, begging fool of myself, when all I want is out there, waiting for me the minute I say I know who I am! Why can’t I say that, Willy?”

Aesthetics: I love how Arthur Miller shows the reader what it’s like in a world as a struggling family. Nonetheless, a struggling middle-aged man in the fifties who is battling depression and the loss of his career. It really shows the reader that anything can happen, that you could possibly lose your career. That you could possibly lose your home or even your loved ones. Anything can happen when life decides to wipe your slate and leave you with nothing in return. So the time we have now, we must cherish it. For we never know how much time we truly have.

“The only thing you’ve got in this world is what you can sell.”