best film: Goodfellas and there aren’t twenty better movies of all-time so this is a great film for any actor to have as their best film. It features an abundance of Scorsese’s style, a captivating narrative, and an ensemble of brilliant performances, led by, Mr. Ray Liotta. Liotta gets the full treatment from Scorsese in this film. He’s featured breaking the fourth wall talking to the camera at the end, front and center in the famous Copacabana tracking shot, freeze-frames. Liotta’s next best film is probably Something Wild (though I love Field of Dreams and The Place Beyond the Pines) but it’s not close at all.
best performance: Goodfellas and this performance has it all. Liotta isn’t on this list without the Henry Hill in Goodfellas performance that’s for sure. He undergoes serious change and gets addicted to drugs. He’s seen as the abuse aggressor in some scenes with Lorraine Bracco and the victim in other scenes (fearful of the sociopathic Joe Pesci). He’s charismatic and intelligent.
Stylistic innovations/traits: Liotta’s eyes are incredibly piercing. In Something Wild he’s almost bearing a hole right through you and in Field of Dreams he could do the performance without words. He’s intense—perfect for his role in Narc. It must be noted that his career from 1990 (Goodfellas) on hasn’t been what the promise of his talent from 1986-1990 showed it could be. 2012 was a nice aside with two solid films/performances but aside from that and Narc (just enough to remind us what we’ve been missing) in 2002 it’s been quiet. Sad.
directors worked with: Nobody more than once but Scorsese of course and then Demme. Domink and Cianfrance are talented.
Top 5 Performances:
- Goodfellas
- Something Wild
- Field of Dreams
- Narc
- Killing Them Softly
Archiveable films
| 1986- Something Wild |
| 1989- Field of Dreams |
| 1990- Goodfellas |
| 2002- Narc |
| 2012- Killing Them Softly |
| 2012- The Place Beyond the Pines |
Him not getting nominated for best Actor for Goodfellas is hands down one of the biggest Oscar Snubs Of All Time.
@Randy– absolutely. I think he should have won quite easily let alone getting nominated.
@Randy White – reason # 1,243 for why the Oscars suck
@James Trapp- indefensible for sure- it certainly isn’t the Oscars proudest moment. The oscars weren’t alone in 1990 though. No nomination for Liotta at the BAFTAs, Golden Globes, and even at Venice Oleg Borisov (The Only Witness) won Best actor
Just watched something wild. What a talent. He is great at anger and like you said intense.
@m – wow nice! Happy to hear it– yeah- he just takes over the second half of this great movie here.
RIP
@KidCharlemagne – I just saw this, only 67. So sad but his Goodfellas performance will live on forever.
@KidCharlemagne- RIP indeed. Too young– and yes– a few underrated performances in his career (Narc, Something Wild)- but Goodfellas will live forever.
Drake,
Did you see the Sopranos movie? it was called The Many Saints of Newark. Liotta does great work in it, playing 2 roles actually, characters who are identical twins including one in prison. It is impressive work and possibly the best performance of the film.
@James Trapp – I have not yet- I have it earmarked here though and do plan to get to it this summer.