Tags
1950's, 1990, American, awards, BAFTA Best Film, Brooklyn America, cast, classic, criminal, dark humour, famous names, first released, gangster, glamour, Golden Age, Goodfellas, Henry Hill, Joe Pesci, Lucchese family, Martin Scorsese, mob hierarchy, non-fiction book, Ray Liotta, Robert DeNiro, Sloans, UK, vintage venue, violence, Wiseguys
A gangster American classic was the latest free film showing at vintage venue Sloans this week.
Goodfellas is a Martin Scorsese remake of the non-fiction book “Wiseguy,” and filled with a dark humour, violence and glamour typical of his movies.
First released in the UK in 1990 its’ cast includes famous names such as Robert DeNiro, Joe Pesci and Ray Liotta. It is now considered one of the most famous gangster movies in the world.
The film features main character Henry Hill, a “normal kid” brought up in Brooklyn, America during the 1950’s “Golden Age”, a time of prosperity. He said, “As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster.” This was referring to his admiration for the Lucchese criminal family who lived in his neighbourhood. The plot follows both the successes and less glamorous issues that arise from him working his way up through the mob hierarchy.
The film as a whole was excellent, a bit more violent than what I would normally watch but with great characterisation and style. It gave a real insight into the lives of the infamous 50’s gangsters and how they viewed the world around them.
The dark humour used throughout caused many laughs in the audience. It also added to the crazed, power hungry attitudes of the gangsters, and showed how unimportant other people’s lives were to them. The dialogue between the actors highlighted the non-fiction element of the plot. It also made the actors seem more like the real people they were portraying.
The acting was convincing and dramatic. Both the dark colour palette and the shots used added to the drama.
Winner of over 30 awards including BAFTA Best Film, Goodfellas will remain a timeless classic. It is the ideal film if you enjoy anything gangster, stylish and humorous.