+8
I like that explanation for Goodfellas, partially because it simultaneously explains why someone would love it and why it might feel "off" to them, since to some degree that's the point. I imagine any kind of deconstruction/subversion is a bit of a high-wire act in that regard.
I'm also okay with the protagonist being a scumbag, too, though Hill's single-mindedness makes the whole thing feel a little less like a story and a bit more like some kind of true crime documentary. Which I guess is kinda appropriate since it's based on a true story and all. It just creates some emotional distance in my case, and that's the kind of nitpicking we do between the great and very great, I suppose. It's why these lists are so agonizing.
Thanks for expounding.