Women Are Not Capable Of Understanding 'Goodfellas'

New York Post ^ | June 10, 2015 | Kyle Smith

[OddLane]

The first time I saw “GoodFellas,” on a rented Blockbuster videotape in 1991, I was in a daze as the final credits rolled. If I had been a cartoon character, I would have had stars dancing around my head like Wile E. Coyote. I turned to my girlfriend and said, “What’d you think?” “Boy movie,” she declared — and I knew our relationship was doomed. Just kidding. (We split up because I was a jerk.) But women don’t get “GoodFellas.” It’s not really a crime drama, like “The Godfather.” It’s more of a male fantasy picture — “Entourage” with guns instead of swimming pools, the Rat Pack minus tuxedos.

“GoodFellas,” which starting next week will have a 25th anniversary showing at the Film Forum on Houston Street, and whose 25th anniversary Blu-ray DVD just hit the streets, takes place in a world guys dream about. Way down deep in the reptile brain, Henry Hill (Ray Liotta), Jimmy the Gent (Robert De Niro) and Tommy (Joe Pesci) are exactly what guys want to be: lazy but powerful, deadly but funny, tough, unsentimental and devoted above all to their brothers — a small group of guys who will always have your back. Women sense that they are irrelevant to this fantasy, and it bothers them.

[OddLane]

Yeah, Nicholas Pileggi did an astonishing job with that book, which reads like a novel.

Goodfellas, along with The Godfather, is one of the few motion pictures that's as good as the book it's based upon, even though the book itself is riveting.

[a fool in paradise]

He resented the fact that all of the unearned, coerced wealth he received because of his Mob connections was gone, and that he was being placed on the same level as "schmucks" who actually earned their livings honestly.

That was a message in Coked Up Wolf Of Wall Street as well.

[raybbr]

I agree that the movie, in the end, shows the futility of being a mobster. However, when people talk about them movie they usually talk about how Pesci’s character beat up the guy or how cool some of the dialogue is. No one ever says, “Did you see “Wiseguys”? Wasn’t it cool how the mob guys end up getting their just desserts?”

[OddLane]

I watched Scarface for the first time a few weeks ago and was very surprised. I always had the impression that, like almost every "cult" classic, it was a tedious, overhyped dud-a la Easy Rider. The ridiculous Cuban accent by Al Pacino didn't help matters, but I was taken aback by how good certain aspects of the film were.

It's not a masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination, but it's not dreadful, all things being equal.

[OddLane]

BTTT.

[Enterprise]

“Now yous can’t leave.”

[OddLane]

Donnie Brasco is a great film.

My favorite mobster movie is Pusher 3: I Am The Angel of Death. The entire Pusher trilogy is amazing, but the conclusion to the trilogy really puts into perspective the way mass immigration has irreversibly transformed Europe, while at the same time being an amazing psychological drama/crime-action movie.

[headstamp 2]

Best scene ever!

[Enterprise]

It was outstanding. Sometimes, you just screw with the wrong people.

[Big Red Badger]

Great Movie,
after reading 84 comments,I had to say that.

You got a Problem?

[headstamp 2]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmHDHwb4vQU

[boop]

The official movie poster doesn't usually have Paulie in the back.

I wonder if they airbrushed him out.

[Secret Agent Man]

I never drooled over any of the crime movies as an adult. I think the only one I was remotely interested in was Scarface for the big battle scene at the end and Michelle Pfeiffer.

[driftless2]

The best part of the movie to me was when Tommy (Joe Pesci) gets his brains blown out. One of the all time evil characters in movie history, but I couldn’t wait for him to get his. Those guys were not heroes to me. Worthless scum.

[OddLane]

The "made" scene is brilliant, especially the split-second where Pesci's expression is framed as he looks into the empty room and realizes he's about to be whacked.

[OddLane]

Michelle Pfeiffer, ca. 1982, is definitely the highlight of that film.

[boop]

I read the novel and LOVED it.

One of the few novels that make an even BETTER movie.

BTW, Henry Hill in the book, and to a lesser degree in the movie makes it look like he's the only one with some kind of "conscience".

Plus he never "admits" to killing anyone.

But he obviously did.

Don't tell me he only drove the cars during these crime sprees.

[OddLane]

I completely agree. Hill did horrific things to innocent human beings, especially to those in his own family. If you want to read a good book on the subject you should check out the memoir by his children, A Mafia Childhood.

[Secret Agent Man]

She needed a burger (looked like a junky for the role) but she maybe wasn’t fully grown then.

[driftless2]

Reading the stories about what happened to real mob guys, many of them either ended up dead or in prison at an early age. John Gotti died in prison from cancer. Yeah, what a great life. (snicker)