I remember first seeing The Godfather Part I, and Part II, and I thought Goodfellas, being a mob movie, would be very similar. Boy, was I wrong. Goodfellas is much more street-level crime film, and it's also kind of funny at the beginning, but eventually spirals into more serious topics. We get to see a kid with a head start in the crime business rise to the top, then, over time, fall, due to drugs, rats (not the rodents), and a hunger for power. I loved learning about the ins and outs of the criminal underworld, and how an insult can take you all the way to lying in a ditch on the side of the road.
Our protagonist, played by an actor I only recognize from a commercial for 1800 tequila, leads a successful life, making it pretty far, but learns that most don't get a chance to go out on top. Instead, they fall and see themselves fail before death. Throughout, the film gives us a glimpse at how tough even the high crime world really is. Although they wear expensive suits and tip doormen hundreds of dollars at a time, they're very venerable. They're all insecure, insane, or just very, very touchy, and that leads to them killing the wrong person. That's where they always fail. They think they can do whatever they ant and get away with it, but are very often wrong. I had an issue with the change of tone being very abrupt, and uneven too. The whole first half was comedic and fun, the second half was dark and depressing. I think, though, that maybe this was to add effect. Maybe we were supposed to see the fun side of crime, the life which so many young men chase, then see all the repercussions later on. It's like a tsunami, everything's fun in the sun, and before you know it, a huge wave of bad stuff is upon you.
I used to think all of the characters had weak judgment, but I guess that's what power does to you. The human mind is a fragile thing, and it's hard to keep it from breaking. Anyway, Goodfellas is a comedic-turned depressing crime drama, with all sorts of twists and turns that takes you on a journey to and from success. A-
Our protagonist, played by an actor I only recognize from a commercial for 1800 tequila, leads a successful life, making it pretty far, but learns that most don't get a chance to go out on top. Instead, they fall and see themselves fail before death. Throughout, the film gives us a glimpse at how tough even the high crime world really is. Although they wear expensive suits and tip doormen hundreds of dollars at a time, they're very venerable. They're all insecure, insane, or just very, very touchy, and that leads to them killing the wrong person. That's where they always fail. They think they can do whatever they ant and get away with it, but are very often wrong. I had an issue with the change of tone being very abrupt, and uneven too. The whole first half was comedic and fun, the second half was dark and depressing. I think, though, that maybe this was to add effect. Maybe we were supposed to see the fun side of crime, the life which so many young men chase, then see all the repercussions later on. It's like a tsunami, everything's fun in the sun, and before you know it, a huge wave of bad stuff is upon you.
I used to think all of the characters had weak judgment, but I guess that's what power does to you. The human mind is a fragile thing, and it's hard to keep it from breaking. Anyway, Goodfellas is a comedic-turned depressing crime drama, with all sorts of twists and turns that takes you on a journey to and from success. A-
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