Goodfellas (1990)

Well isn’t this one of the original gangster films? I know there are the likes of ‘The Godfather’ series but this one definitely joins up with them too. With stars like Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci, ‘Goodfellas’ is obviously acted phenomenally well and the violence along with the persistent tense feeling throughout is always present. What more is needed of a gangster film? Directed by an incredibly successful and well known director too? Oh yeah, that’ll be Martin Scorsese.

So ‘Goodfellas’ follows the true story of Henry Hill (Ray Liotta) and his life in the mob in New York. He narrates this tale with his wife Karen (Lorraine Bracco) and talks about his working life in “construction” with Jimmy (Robert De Niro) and Tommy (Joe Pesci). Safe to say, it is a film that gets rather violent (well begins that way and remains that way) and is constantly unpredictable in the psychopathic nature of the characters.

I can’t say I’m the biggest fan of violent films, nor mob related ones either. But I can definitely appreciate that ‘Goodfellas’ is a film that set trends. It is a film that made its mark in cinematography. It’s clearly well acted, well directed and has set a tone for gangster films that many have duplicated since. I can’t even begin to count how many true story crime films have been created since, but ‘Goodfellas’ has to be remembered as one of the originals. It’s clear why it has become a well celebrated film and I can’t argue otherwise, even if it’s not a genre I would normally reach towards.

‘Goodfellas’ will remain one of the best mob films purely because it did set these tones for others to later copy. Many films released afterwards have followed the similar themes of ‘Goodfellas’, such as the unpredictability in acting, the use of time and how it skips along to relevant stories, even the use of narration. ‘Goodfellas’ is a great crime movie, even if released over 30 years ago! It has everything needed and it made its mark in cinema.

Home Alone (1990)

I would assume that most people who love a Christmas film have seen this one. It is one of the classic family Christmas films. However, in my opinion it isn’t my favourite. Now I understand why many love this film, I really do, but personally when I was younger the idea of the film used to kind of freak me out. That an eight year old boy is left home alone around Christmas, that burglars are trying to break into the house… But maybe I was overthinking it. For example, for my little brother this is his favourite Christmas film.

A rush of a huge family holiday means that one child accidentally gets left behind. Like a said, a little eight year old boy, named Kevin. I have to admit Macaulay Culkin playing Kevin is brilliant. He plays the cheeky and clever little boy extremely well. He is definitely the character who adds to the comedy of the film and makes it enjoyable for the family-based audience. Plus, I definitely can see why he seems so troublesome at the beginning, being called a “jerk” by his Uncle and picked on by all the other little children. The audience really does see things from his perspective. But he realises he doesn’t want to be alone round Christmas, no one does. A moral of the film of course, to always be with family and they will always forgive.

‘Home Alone’ jumps back and forth to Kevin at home and the mother, Kate (Catherine O’Hara), desperately trying to get home – that’s once she realises she’s actually left her son at home… The aspect with the family on holiday gives an emergency and desperate feel to the film, an urgency to get back to poor little Kevin. While at home, burglars, Harry (Joe Pesci) and Marv (Daniel Stern), work the street Kevin lives on, their dream being Kevin’s house, of course. This is the part that used to creep me out that two grown men were spying on a young child vulnerable in his house, however he fights his own. A part of the film that I can imagine is loved, well it is by my brother, is when the burglars truly get what they deserve in a comical and clever way in the hands of Kevin. Throughout the film, ‘Home Alone’ delves into the creative imagination of the young boy left alone, as he tries to mature and fight his fears, something to be admired by the audience. The film really does have a beautiful family-filled Christmassy end that I do love.

It is a film not like any other. One that isn’t too much wrapped around Christmas in itself but more of the importance of family around the holiday season, which is loved by audiences. You know it is a Christmas film, but as it is mostly based around Kevin and his ways at home, you experience his few days alone as he grows and becomes more confident in himself, appreciating the little things more. But within all this, there are comedic elements that are enjoyed, even some squirmy moments when someone stands on Christmas ornaments – just imagining that makes me squirm. Overall, it’s an understandable family Christmas film that is loved by so many, even if it isn’t my favourite, I wouldn’t knock the classic too much.