I have decided that I will use the film Goodfellas for my review of reviews. Goodfellas is a classic 1990 gangster film directed by Martin Scorsese. The film is set in New York City over the span of 25 years based on the true story of the rise and fall of Lucchese crime family associates Henry Hill and his friends, Jimmy Conway and Tommy DeVito. Henry Hill is played by Ray Liotta, Jimmy Conway is played by Robert De Niro, and Tommy DeVito is played by Joe Pesci. The film was critically acclaimed, receiving six Academy Award nominations, including best picture and best director. However, the film only won one, that being Joe Pesci for Best Supporting Actor. I really enjoyed this film, so I am interested in what these reviews have to say about the film.
Positive Review: Roger Ebert - 4 stars out of 4 http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19900902/REVIEWS/9020301
Roger Ebert starts this review about how the mood of the film lingered within him refusing to leave. He describes the mood of “guilt and regret, of quick stupid decisions leading to wasted lifetimes,” which could be themes of the film. Ebert later goes on to say that “no finer film has ever been made about organized crime - not even The Godfather,” which is his thesis statement and a very large claim. He backs up this claim by saying that most movies ‘evaporate like mist’ one you return to the real world, but not this one. This review is in paragraph form and I would consider it long. I feel excitement from Ebert in this review because you can tell he really enjoyed this film. Ebert focuses mostly on the phenomenal acting, the terrific performance by director Martin Scorsese, as well as the plot. He writes, “Scorsese is the right director - the only director - for this material.” Throughout the review Ebert raves about the plot and realism. He compares this film to other classic Scorsese films such as Taxi Driver and Raging Bull, as well as The Godfather. Ebert says Scorsese has never done a more compelling job than he did with Goodfellas. The Godfather was obviously compared because both films are consider two of the top crime movies of all time. Ebert absolutely loves the film and ranks it as one of the best ever.
Negative Review: Joseph McBride- Variety http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117789056/?categoryid=31&cs=1
“Simultaneously fascinating and repellent, "Goodfellas" is Martin Scorsese's colorful but dramatically unsatisfying inside look at Mafia life in 1955 - 80 New York City,” this is how McBride describes this film Goodfellas. Let’s see how he came to this conclusion. This review is shorter and set in a small paragraph form. McBride says the first half of this film is ‘wonderful’ “introing Ray Liotta and viewer to the Mafia milieu.” He applauds Scorsese’s “perfectly cast friezes of grotesque hoodlum types are caricatures in the best sense of the word.” However, he says the second half of the film is very undramatic. McBride explains the plot about how Liotta becomes a flashy gangster and then eventually builds up to a change of heart by Liotta which he says is unspectacular. McBride also compares this film to The Godfather, but with more negativity saying that Goodfellas “ doesn't share the "Godfather" films' examination of the Mafia’s evolution in reaction to social injustice.” Another major complaint of McBride was not necessarily the acting but how the actors were used. He felt De Niro was not given enough screen time to fully explore his character. He does compliment the tech contributions and the setting. McBride was expecting far more from Goodfellas and his review shows it.
Having seen the film, here are two points that I agree with from both reviews. “Most films, even great ones, evaporate like mist once you've returned to the real world; they leave memories behind, but their reality fades fairly quickly. Not this film, which shows America's finest filmmaker at the peak of his form(Ebert).” I completely agree with this statement. The following day after viewing the film, I constantly thought about the themes of regret and wasted lifetimes. No other movie has made me think into the next day. The next quote I chose was “Scorsese's perfectly cast friezes of grotesque hoodlum types are caricatures in the best sense of the word(McBride).” The film felt so real to me and a big part of this was because of Scorsese, he did a great job of casting this film.
Had I never seen this movie, I would probably have found Ebert’s review more convincing. One and perhaps the biggest reason is Ebert’s reputation as a film critic. He is among the best in the world and his reviews seem to be trusted throughout the film industry. I also like how he describes the plot and the realism the film brings to the viewer. Ebert’s ‘passion’ for this movie is also very intriguing for the reader because you can tell that he truly enjoyed this film. Ebert’s reputation would probably be my main reason for trusting this review.
If I had to write a one page film review I would have to make sure I include a few key components to this film. First off, I would have to say what a great job Scorsese did with this film. He made this film feel so real with great casting and good scene locations. I would also have to write about the great acting performances by Liotta, De Niro, and Pesci. Those three alone had great performances in the film and are well deserving of the awards they won. Lastly, I would make sure that I wrote about the plot and how well written it was. Goodfellas was an exceptional film and I would make sure I would let the reader know.
