If ever there was a film to challenge 'The Godfather' for the title of Best Organized Crime Movie, it's 1990's 'GoodFellas'.
Nominated for 6 Academy Awards including Best Picture (which it probably should've won) 'GoodFellas' is talent performing at it's highest level.
Without being too long-winded on this point, arguments can be made that this is Robert De Niro's best film, Ray Liotta's best film, Joe Pesci's best film, and the best film directed by Martin Scorsese.
Based on the 1986 book 'Wiseguy' which I admittedly have never read, the film focuses on the rise and fall of Henry Hill (played by Ray Liotta) and several portions of the film are narrated Liotta. Now, a lot times in movies I find narration to be almost lazy, as if someone said "I need to explain this part but I don't know how to film it and keep it interesting". By contrast, in this film the narration is sprinkled throughout to enhance the overall film.
In addition to having a very engaging plot, large reason why this movie works so well is acting and the dynamic between the lead characters.
As mentioned before, Ray Liotta plays Henry Hill, he is a mob associate that is ultimately undone by his own carelessness (cocain habit, cheating on his wife etc.)
Alongside Liotta, Robert De Niro plays James "Jimmy the Gent" Conway, he's the calm, collected and calculating one. Then there's Joe Pesci who plays Tommy DeVito, he's a loud, bombastic, hothead. (Pesci went on to win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for this role)
Entertaining, hard-hitting, stylish, a modern-classic, intense... There are countless phrases that one could use to describe this movie but, in the end, the most accurate is Masterpiece.
It's a rare 5 out of 5 kind of movie.
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