Tribeca film festival closed with a cast reunion of Goodfellas, celebrating its 25th anniversary
(except for Joe Pesci, who sent a hilarious profanity laced tirade to Robert DeNiro)
There was also a good article in the recent issue of Playboy, which told the hilarious story of how more than 30 people walked out of the screening after the first scene.
as much as I admire Godfather and Godfather II, I watched Scorsese's masterpiece this weekend and just marvel at its achievement as a film. Breathtaking use of music, very gritty and engaging characters, relentless and random violence, and a very exhaustive view of life as a mobster in NYC.
Ray Liotta embodies the outsider/everyman who always works on the edge of the cosa nostra because of his partial Irish heritage, but this is Joe Pesci's film. He rightfully won an Oscar as the unhinged, deranged mafia enforcer Tommy DeVito. The "you think I'm funny?" scene is one of the most tense and uncomfortable moments on film. I would say his character probably ranks #2 on my list of most fearsome criminals in film, only behind Ben Kingsley in Sexy Beast.
and yet, my favorite scene is when Karen's snooty, d-bag neighbor assaults her and Henry just walks across the street and pistol whips him in front of his friends. The scene is graphic and brutal, yet kind of amusing.
I've also mention how I cannot listen to the outro of "Layla" without thinking of the slow rolling scenes of the bodies being discovered after Jimmy Conway decides to tie up loose ends from the Lufthansa heist. (reat early role for Samuel L Jackson as Stacks, the driver.) the soundtrack of this film is a history lesson of New York covering 30+ years . . .
But this is such an incredible film, not one wasted scene, amazing use of voice overs, and the single take tracking shot from the streets into the club is pure legendary filmmaking.
thoughts?
(except for Joe Pesci, who sent a hilarious profanity laced tirade to Robert DeNiro)
There was also a good article in the recent issue of Playboy, which told the hilarious story of how more than 30 people walked out of the screening after the first scene.
as much as I admire Godfather and Godfather II, I watched Scorsese's masterpiece this weekend and just marvel at its achievement as a film. Breathtaking use of music, very gritty and engaging characters, relentless and random violence, and a very exhaustive view of life as a mobster in NYC.
Ray Liotta embodies the outsider/everyman who always works on the edge of the cosa nostra because of his partial Irish heritage, but this is Joe Pesci's film. He rightfully won an Oscar as the unhinged, deranged mafia enforcer Tommy DeVito. The "you think I'm funny?" scene is one of the most tense and uncomfortable moments on film. I would say his character probably ranks #2 on my list of most fearsome criminals in film, only behind Ben Kingsley in Sexy Beast.
and yet, my favorite scene is when Karen's snooty, d-bag neighbor assaults her and Henry just walks across the street and pistol whips him in front of his friends. The scene is graphic and brutal, yet kind of amusing.
I've also mention how I cannot listen to the outro of "Layla" without thinking of the slow rolling scenes of the bodies being discovered after Jimmy Conway decides to tie up loose ends from the Lufthansa heist. (reat early role for Samuel L Jackson as Stacks, the driver.) the soundtrack of this film is a history lesson of New York covering 30+ years . . .
But this is such an incredible film, not one wasted scene, amazing use of voice overs, and the single take tracking shot from the streets into the club is pure legendary filmmaking.
thoughts?
