Phoenix (1998)

Highly watchable crime thriller directed by Danny Cannon. 

Ray Liotta plays Harry Collins, an Arizona detective whose gambling addiction is getting him into trouble. His three colleagues in the same department also have their own problems and their needs don’t always coincide. 

I like the way that Harry is portrayed as a deeply moral character, despite the mess he’s in. This nuanced script allows him to add real depth to the performance. 

Angelica Huston is excellent as Leila, the mother of a girl he nearly dated and someone he becomes quickly attached to.

You guess fairly on that there’s not going to be a happy ending, but it is at least a satisfying ending.

Goodfellas (1990)

Martin Scorsese’s adaptation of Nicholas Pileggi’s book Wiseguy is a beautifully filmed masterpiece. Unlike Casino, it’s presented from the perspective of a character that you can relate to. Through Henry Hill (Ray Liotta), we see inside the world of the mafia and – crucially – why it initially seems so appealing. 

It’s about many things; the mafia, obviously, but also family, marriage and changing times in the USA.

Scorsese manages to pull off certain effects (freeze frames, a tiny bit of fourth-wall speaking to camera at the end) without it ever seeming tricksy. The characters seem entirely real. It’s also improbably funny – see Joe Pesci’s character's relationship with his mother (played by Scorsese’s own mother), or the obsession with food (Henry asking his brother to keep stirring the sauce as his life’s falling apart). And Robert De Niro is at his very best.

Although it’s multilayered, it’s also superbly lucid storytelling. You know what’s going on and why, even as the film constantly surprises you. Fantastic music choices too.