3. Goodfellas (1990)
Martin Scorseses Goodfellas is a tour de force of the crime genre. Its a violent exploration of the New York mob through the eyes of Henry Hill, who rose through the ranks to eventually turn over his gangster family to the police. Throughout the film, we are guided through the world of murder, cocaine and funny men by Henrys constant voiceover, making even the most law abiding of us see the allure of the brilliant life he, at least for the first half, seems to lead. At the films climax, with Henry a witness in court reflecting on the free living lifestyle, Ray Liotta starts talking directly to the audience, walking out of the stand and coming right up to the camera to announce Its all over. This gives the final moment, where a suburban Hill stares at the audience and grins, recollecting on his past, an extra sense of gravitas. Bringing the character and the narration literally together makes the whole experience feel complete. It may be a brief breaking of the fourth wall, but coming after two hours, at the very end of the film it sticks in the mind long after finishing, compounding the endings effect. We may have seen the glamour in Henrys mobster life earlier, but now we are accepting not only the dissatisfaction Hill has with life in Witness Protection, but with expectations in our own lives.