Good'Fellas was always a movie that I highly appreciated. I never really looked at it from a directors point of view before, because I always was just far to consumed in the movie. So recently I sat down and enjoyed this film from a different perspective. Overall, it just opened up my eyes even more to the fact that this movie is just fantastic all around. With an all start cast of Robert De Naro, Ray Liotta, Joe Pesci, and Lorraine Bracco, Good'Fellas rocks!
Characterization.
The actors and characters in this movie are very developed. The story is clearly explained, and the characters are all separately introduced slowly, which makes it all flow very nice. Ray Liotta plays the main character, Henery Hill. Liotta plays him very well and gives him many levels. From beginning to end, this character goes on a journey, and we go with him. De Naro plays Jimmy Conway, a con artist who swiftly makes his money by ripping people off, stealing, and killing. He plays the part so well and you always want to know a little bit more about him. Pesci plays the wise guy, Tommy. Tommy is always the one to get in trouble, starting fights and even picking them. This characters is UNPREDICTABLE and has so many different levels of attitude, it really brings and extra layer of color to the film. Finally, Bracco plays Henery Hill's wife, Karen. This women is an emotional train wreck, and could easily be played one leveled, but Bracco portrays this character so well and puts her in so many different places, it really makes you feel sorry for her at times. I believe that the characters could not have been cast better. There is so much life in all of the scenes and all the actors work very very well together. Something i really like about the characters is how much different they are and how separately the variety they have really brings them together at the same time.
Character Interaction
There are many major conflicts in this film. Henry being at the center of most of them. He has a problem with his family over wanting to be a part of a gang. He has plenty of problems with his wife, affairs, and drugs. Another conflict arises when Henry is sent to prison, where he starts dealing drugs himself. This leads to one of the biggest conflicts with the person who basically made him who he is, Pauly. All of these things lead up to Henry really defeats himself, because in the end, Pauly rejects him. The only way Hill could solve this conflict, is by turning himself in and ratting out everyone he has ever worked with, something he grew up learning and swearing not to do. All of the characters react very well with each other, the scenes are believable and it is next to impossible not to get sunk in. There is so much chemistry between Henry and his wife, I believed that he loved her when we beat up that guy for trying to touch her. Something I could never forget about the film is the first line, "As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster," It starts the movie with a boom ,and it is very upfront and powerful.
Non-Acting Aspects
The movies takes place in New York City in the 1960s. The set is very period, from cars all the way to furniture. The props the actors use are mostly weapons. They use them to kill, and yes they do use them effectively! They are not at all meaningless, they actually sort of make the film. The soundtrack fits the film so well. Every song that is played fits perfectly with the scene that it is played in. The lighting never really bothered me, but at some points it might have been a little dark. I definitely bought the costuming, it was very period and it help the author's intentions.
I love this movie!
