Over at Salon, there is an ongoing debate about the merits of Martin Scorsese's crime epic Goodfellas. Thought I would pass it on.
Released on the 19th of September 1990, the movie opened to high critical praise, it remains one of Scorsese's most well known and well quoted films. Salon's Matt Zoller Seitz squares off against New York journalist Ian Grey in a well nuanced and detailed debate about whether the film really deserved it's reputation for being of the greatest gangster movies of all times (it ranks right up there with The Godfather for many fans of the genre). Having watched the movie only yesterday, I think I tend to side with Seitz, but then I love a good crime thriller to begin with; but I also find Grey's criticisms of Scorsese's approach to the crafting of the film and script completely leave out that it based on true story. Henry Hill is a real person, who, according the Wikipedia link sells his art work on eBay and is frequently a guest on The Howard Stern Show. In particular the criticisms of MS's portrayal of women in the film ring a bit hollow--I think he is intending viewers to notice the way Hill treats his wife in such a cheap and shabby way. Especially toward the end, when he is seriously coked up. Anyway, it is still a good debate no matter how you feel about the movie
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