Donnie Brasco

Donnie Brasco review

Rated - 5.0 stars

By wolfenchild from Croydon, England Avatar image

  • 38
  • 4

4th February 2004

Donnie Brasco centers around the true story of FBI Agent, Joseph D. Pistone, played by Johnny Depp, who infiltrates the mafia of New York, by befriending Benjamin 'Lefty' Ruggerio (Al Pacino) under the moniker of Donnie Brasco. He gets himself in with the mafia faction led by Sonny Black (Michael Madsen), and finds himself falling in deeper and deeper as the group hit the big time. This puts Donny at conflict, putting a strain on his marriage, but unable to walk away lest Lefty pays the price.

Donnie Brasco is probably one of the best mob films I've seen since The Godfather and Scarface. Johnny Depp delivers a convincing perfomance as a mobster, but also a man who is at conflict with himself, his family, his friends but most of all his conscience, showing once again Depp's versatility as an actor. Also Al Pacino delivers arguarbly one of his best perfomances, showing Lefty to be a character who is strong, loyal and yet vulnerable. And of all the characters, Lefty is the one you feel for the most.

As Brasco delves deeper and deeper into the crime syndicate, the more intense the storyline becomes and the more you feel for the particpants. And the fact that it is based on a true story makes it all the more compelling.

When people mention mob films, the first they say are The Godfather, and Scarface. But Donnie Brasco definitely deserves to be mentioned too.

Is this a must-see film? Eh, forget about it! (That means yes.)

About the reviewer: wolfenchild

Titles rented: 31

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