Okay, I’ve seen it a couple of times, but I just don’t get the feeling that I’m really appreciating what it is that is supposed to be so good about this film. I’m not ragging on it, it’s a fine film and all, but it’s 25 on IMDb’s Top 250, and that boggles my mind. Better than Saving Private Ryan, okay maybe, but better than Taxi Driver?
Anybody wanna help me out?
Well, great directing, great acting, and one of the greatest soundtracks in movie history are among the reasons why I liked it. Plus, the fact that it is based on a true story is in my mind, really fascinating.
The movie has many great scenes as well, from “Whaddya mean funny”, the great entrance to the Copacabana, to the brutal aftermath of the Latanza heist.
You can read Ebert’s reasons for loving Goodfellas at:
http://www.suntimes.com/ebert/ebert_reviews/1990/09/565099.html
first of all I wouldn’t put too much stock in this list. Toy Story II is #54 and Fargo is #64?..come on.
For me, I love the movie because of it’s inside but at the same time outside point of view and the narration and the music and the characters and the dialogue. I mean the first time you saw it weren’t you as fooled as everyone else when Joe Pesci did his “you think I’m funny? Do I amuse you?” thing with Ray Liotta? Or when the camera followed Henry and Karen (?) from the outside through the kitchen (I think they just went around in a circle) to the front row of the Copa? Or at the end when Henry swears all the women in his life are conspiring against him? Classic stuff.
first of all I wouldn’t put too much stock in this list. Toy Story II is #54 and Fargo is #64?..come on.
For me, I love the movie because of it’s inside but at the same time outside point of view and the narration and the music and the characters and the dialogue. I mean the first time you saw it weren’t you as fooled as everyone else when Joe Pesci did his “you think I’m funny? Do I amuse you?” thing with Ray Liotta? Or when the camera followed Henry and Karen (?) from the outside through the kitchen (I think they just went around in a circle) to the front row of the Copa? Or at the end when Henry swears all the women in his life are conspiring against him? Classic stuff.
Yeah, the IMDb list is just a guideline. It’s always full of ridiculous overreactions to new films when the only people who have voted on the film think it’s great (I think Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring was tied for number 1 for a while there). I note also though that GoodFellas made the AFI Top 100 list as well, which is a better guage of it’s level of respect among people who should know.
I guess I’m just looking for a hook to hang my own admiration on. I normally really enjoy gangster movies, but for some reason, this one has to date left me unmoved, though not unalterably so, hence this thread. 
Taxi Driver is just not for everyone. It’s much more avant gard or experimental or artsy (or whatever euphamism you want to use) than GoodFellas.
GoodFellas is totally story driven whereas Taxi Driver is a character study. I know people who think Taxi Driver is just long, boring and pointless.