There is a certain joy in watching a quotable film – in hearing a line and instantly knowing you’ll be reciting it later on repeat. In this way – and countless others – GoodFellas was a cinematic gift and certified classic. Its nuanced plot and incisive commentary on the American Dream helped form the blueprint for mob movies to follow – one that we’re still reaping the benefits of today.
The film is politically serious and fiendishly funny in equal measure; it is harrowingly violent in one scene and a laugh-out-loud riot in the next.
