Tag Archive: Goodfellas


The Irishman – goodfellas played by old fellas

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December 4, 2019

THE IRISHMAN directed by Martin Scorsese (USA, 2019)
220px-the_irishman_poster

Will there be mobster movies in heaven? If so, Martin Scorsese is sure to be the director. Of course, he’d insist on there being an afterlife ban on watching his work on mobile phones and would personally see to it that any films based on Marvel comics were cast into the fiery pits of hell. Netflix would be allowed through the pearly gates as a reward for stumping up the cash for his latest movie.

I find it ironic that Scorsese is now keen to dictate what and how we should be consuming movies in the 21st century.  He is quick to mount his moral high horse even though the charge of glamorizing unscrupulous criminals and cold-blooded killers is one he would be hard pressed to dismiss. I’m sure Mafia members are among his biggest fans.

‘The Irishman’ is a true crime caper in a similar vein to ‘Goodfellas’ (1990) .  Like that movie, Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci have starring roles and the same narrative technique of a start to finish voiceover is deployed. This is a device I usually find irritating and this film is no exception. I believe a story should speak for itself in cinematic terms rather than relying on a constant running commentary. Continue reading →

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GOODFELLAS : KEEPING IT IN THE FAMILY

Filed under: Gender, Movies — 1 Comment
October 24, 2012

Say ‘cheese’!  L to r – Henry, Johnny, Paulie and Tommy.

GOODFELLAS directed by Martin Scorsese (USA, 1990)

To Henry Hill (Ray Liotta) you’re either a shmuck or a somebody. There is no middle way. The former are those who have “shitty jobs with bum pay checks”, the latter are gangsters, wiseguys and “movie stars with muscle”.

Being part of the exclusive club of these ‘goodfellas’ is to be part of a family, albeit a very violent one. They adhere to a code of ethics which includes being nice to their moms and never ratting on your friends, but the work also requires hands on experience of intimidation and murder.

The perks of the job are that you dress well, drive swanky cars, get laid a lot and,provided you give tips to the right people, you are practically above the law. Continue reading →

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DEFYING THE MAFIA

Filed under: Books, Italy, Politics — 1 Comment
September 11, 2008

When hiring a car in England this year, the young guy who took my booking information was curious about what life was like in Italy. “Have you got the credit crunch?” he asked before reverting to the default option query : “Have you still got the Mafia, then?”

Aside from the three Ps ( pizza, pasta and Pavarotti) the English cannot quite get the image of the Godfather out of their heads. Think Italy and Mafia is an immediate word association.

I suppose national stereotypes work like this. When Italians think of the English they think of James Bond, Mr Bean and the Royal Family. So you can imagine an Englishman at a Hertz Rental in Rome being asked “Have you still got the Queen, then?”

Families are always especially fascinating especially when they are so disfunctional, anachronistic and ruthless.

But enough about the Royal Family! This is a post about the Mafia and in particular an excellent new book by my good friend Tom Behan called simply ‘Defiance’ and subtitled ‘The story of one man who stood up to the Sicilian Mafia’. Continue reading →

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JESSE JAMES AND THE COWARD

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July 28, 2008

THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD directed by Andrew Dominik (USA, 2007)

Brad Pitt is the star attraction of the movie but, as the full title suggests, the main focus is on the cowardly act of betrayal by Robert Ford. Ford is played by Casey Affleck who is kid brother to Ben and looks like a young David Byrne. He is perfect in the role of nerdy wannabe outlaw.

Anyone expecting an action packed yarn will be disappointed. You only have to hear the score by Nick Cave & Warren Ellis to get the languid and melancholy mood. By the time we see what remains of the James Gang, they are a spent force. After one last hold up the only way is down.

The brothers Frank (Sam Shepherd) and Jesse are estranged and the law is tightening its net. Jesse at 34 is a shadow of his former self and no longer the dynamic man of action whose daring deeds led to his mythical status and notoriety.

Usually I hate the use of a voiceover for anything more than an initial scene setting. In Scorsese’s Goodfellas and Casino, for example, this device struck me as intrusive and superfluous. In The Assassination of Jesse James however the poetic language , beautifully spoken by Scottish actor Hugh Ross, adds to the narrative of this elegiac western.

The screenplay as a whole, from the novel by Ron Hansen, is superbly judged as is the cinematography by Roger Deakens which gives the epic landscape a strangely claustrophobic atmosphere.

It’s a shade too long and the cameo performance by Nick Cave singing the Ballad of Jesse James looks out of place but overall this is a remarkably assured directorial work by Andrew Dominik. He recognises that you can create dramatic tension in a movie even when you know exactly how it will end.

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