Seven stars. I think that's because it came in with such a huge reputation,
and because I'm such a fan of Scorsese's. I can't give it more than seven stars (and that's generous) because it just isn't tight enough. It's a rambling, episodic mess
of a film that would have benefited from having 20 to 30 minutes trimmed out
of it. The performances are all top-notch. Joe Pesci is the obvious
nod -- he got the most flamboyant character. But Liotta, De Niro, Bracco, and
Sorvino all soar here as well. The shot-structure and scene-to-scene direction
are also both excellent. I expect that from Scorsese. He's one of the best
directors of the last half-century. But I think he got trapped by his own
fascination with his source material. Because the film plays like a series of
vignettes that Henry Hill is telling us as we all sit on bar-stools in some
shabby tavern. Not bad by any means. And each nugget is interesting in its
own right. But more judicious editing would have made for an even better film. 5 December 2022.
Review of Goodfellas
