Vanila45

One word sums up this Albert Brooks film: cute. Brooks plays a struggling writer who finally finds his muse (Sharon Stone), a demanding, obnoxious woman claiming to be the daughter of Zeus. The script is not great, but there are some funny moments and industry inside jokes. The Martin Scorsese cameo was funny but the rest were annoying.

Bottom line: Wait till it comes out on video or see it with a big group.

Martin Scorsese delivers yet another fine example of film making at its best. Goodfellas has all the elements of a great film: an entertaining script, a talented cast and effective use of cinematic devices such as still photography and voice-over narration. One of the highlights of Goodfellas is the dialogue, with well-written narration ("How could I go back to school and pledge allegance to the flag and sit through good government bullshit?") and rapid-fire conversations. The soundtrack is the finishing touch: it creates a "gangsta" tone and makes the whole thing more authentic.

Goodfellas is arguably the best mob movie. I believe that it surpasses Coppola's The Godfather because it is more entertaining, better written and much of the acting (with the exception of Brando) surpasses performances in The Godfather. Anyone who wants to be entertained or see an example of a well-executed film with a good concept should see Goodfellas.