Glenn Kenny

“Made Men: The Story of Goodfellas” by Glenn Kenny is a 2020 Hanover Square Press publication.

Well, you think I'm funny? Funny how?

The screenplay for Goodfellas- one of the most iconic movies ever- was based on the book “Wiseguy” by Nicholas Pileggi, which is a nonfiction book about Wiseguy Henry Hill. The movie was released in 1990.

This book is an insightful look at the film, which is examined from various angles such as cinematography, pop culture status, the musical score, the psychology of gangster mentality, as well as a bit of a personal memoir,

Unfortunately, the author ambles and rambles on occasion and the writing often felt a bit detached, too clinical, or academic. The chapters are too long- even though there are breaks within the chapters- and the book is too exhaustive in my opinion. One personal peeve was the author’s incessant need to mention ‘The Last Temptation of Christ’ ad nauseum. He seemed to look for any opportunity to mention that movie – of the many Scorsese directed- which made no sense to me, whatsoever.

That said, anyone who is a fan of the movie, like me, will enjoy the interviews, history recaps, behind-the-scenes trivia and information, and various themes that the author examines. It will give you a new appreciation of this timeless crime classic and you’ll want to watch it again, even if you’ve seen it countless times before.

Overall, while the book could be dense at times, fans of the movie or film in general, history or pop culture will want to check it out. There’s lots of little behind-the-scenes information that I’d never heard about, some interviews with the stars of the movie, and thought-provoking analysis about Henry Hill that I found especially interesting.

3 stars… (plus d'informations)