Made Men

July 6, 2020
Kenny, a New York Times film critic, offers an exhaustive, sometimes exhausting analysis of Goodfellas, “frequently cited as the most realistic American movie about organized crime.” Director Martin Scorsese, Kenny writes, establishes his deglamorized depiction of mobsters right from the opening scene, which introduces the film’s stars, Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro, and Joe Pesci (playing a “human incendiary device”), with whom the audience is immediately made to share a “realistic intimacy,” even as “stylization as a distancing effect” from their horrendous crimes. Kenny discusses in depth the careers of these actors and of Scorsese, as well as of their supporting cast members and Scorsese’s filmmaking collaborators. These include executive producer Barbara De Fina (who candidly reflects on her divorce from Scorsese around this time), editor Thelma Schoonmaker (“The woman I trust,” according to Scorsese), and Scorsese’s co-screenwriter, Nicholas Pileggi, with whom he turned the latter’s nonfiction book Wiseguy into a script Kenny deems “a model of narrative resourcefulness.” Kenny’s exacting attention to aspects of the production both big and small continues as he examines the soundtrack choices (from Bobby Darin to Sid Vicious) and even the Liotta character’s recipe for ziti. Readers who are only casual admirers of Scorsese may find Kenny’s level of detail tedious, but the director’s most devoted fans will adore this. Agent: Joseph Veltre, Gersh Agency.

Starred review from August 1, 2020

Goodfellas is arguably director Martin Scorsese's most popular film, and while many books have capitalized on its fame--including a volume on leadership and even a cookbook--this is the first title in almost 20 years to take such a thorough and highly entertaining look at the creation and legacy of what many consider one of the best mob movies of all time. Kenny (formerly, film critic, Premiere) has written an engaging first-person narrative, making readers feel they are right there as he interviews Scorsese, co-screenwriter Nicholas Pileggi, actor Robert DeNiro, and producer Barbara De Fina. This extensive study explores Saul Bass's opening credit sequence and the racist and discriminatory language used by characters in the film and in other works by Scorsese. Kenny also considers editor Thelma Schoonmaker's relationship with Scorsese and devotes an entire chapter to the film's music. Every aside, every reference to something as simple as why the coda to Eric Clapton's "Layla" was used in one scene grows into a fascinating behind-the-scenes exploration. Using original interviews, existing criticism, and even the DVD commentary track, Kenny leaves no thread unpulled, no stone unturned. VERDICT A must for any fan of Goodfellas, Scorsese, or movies in general. [See "Turn the Page," p. 18.]--Peter Thornell, Hingham P.L., MA

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