Every week, we in Her.ie towers will provide you with a blast from the past, a film that you cannot live without but nor should you, the classic film that you simply need to watch.
This week we take a look at the classic that is the wonderful Goodfellas, directed by the brilliant Martin Scorsese.
The film is based on the true story of Henry Hill, a member of the mob in New York who along with two of his companions, managed to work his way up through the hierarchy to become one of the main players in the group.
Beginning with Henry’s dream to just become a gangster, the film goes through Henry’s life from his troubled childhood to his mob beginnings, right through to his marriage and his co-operation with the FBI.
The real success of Goodfellas is the fact that the cast are absolutely perfect, particularly Robert De Niro and Ray Liotta who play the lead gangsters. Pesci directed one of the most popular scenes in the film and arguably the most intimidating one, the oft quoted: “are you not entertained?”
On top of that, the script is hugely enjoyable with some of the most memorable Scorsese lines overall, particularly: “For as long as I can remember I always wanted to be a gangster.”
This is just one of the best classics out there and one that really lost out in the Oscar race to Kevin Costner’s Dances with Wolves. You need to check this one out.
