I'm sorry to all of the fans of this picture, but I just didn't love it the way some other people seem to. I found it engaging, and it kept my attention. But it didn't speak to me on a personal level. I wonder about this aspect, especially since my feelings about Goodfellas have changed over time.
When I was younger, high school and college age, I think I felt more angry. That anger may have made the mob lifestyle seem more glamorous. Now, it just seems criminal and cruel. Childish in certain ways. Much of it seems to be about jockeying for position and holding grudges and having a strange sense of family pride.
The characterizations are good. I sort of wish Michael had been more firmly demonstrated to be a good person prior to his induction into the mob life. Brando is… I can't evaluate his work. His performance has become a caricature as time has passed. I actually found his work to be over-the-top, but I'm not sure what else I could have expected. I did prefer his scenes as he got older.
The story is long, and it's full of complex interactions. Yet, I didn't think much of it matters.
Cathy liked this one much more. But I kept thinking about Amadeus, and how a similarly critically acclaimed movie would feel so much more important to me. The reason is that Amadeus has characters that I like, and that I identify with. Here… I have a bunch of thugs pushing people around. The most interesting element of it is Brando's interest in keeping out of the drug business, but that's just played as a plot device, not as a theme, or even a character-building moment.
I can't say this is a bad movie at all. the direction is well handled, there's a distinct look to the movie, and there's a style to the framing that is unique, but not annoying.
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