Donnie Brasco Reviews

Donnie Brasco

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.)

[Highly rated reviewer]

How can John Wayne die?

On one level, 'Donnie Brasco' might just look like another mafia movie. But it's not. It tells the story of FBI agent Joe Pistone (Johnny Depp), who in the late 1970s was hired to infiltrate the mafia. So, he got acquainted with hit-man Benjamin 'Lefty' Ruggiero (Al Pacino). But lo and behold, Joe got too much into the mafia lifestyle, to the point where it dominated his life and kept him from his family. And no one ended up with a very good reward at the end.

Both Depp and Pacino are about as intense as we expect them to be, with good support from Michael Madsen, Bruno Kirby, James Russo, Anne Heche and Zeljko Ivanek. With his hair all greased back, Depp looks like the ultimate mafioso. I should identify that there are two scenes that will probably make your skin crawl: the leg scene, and what they do to the Japanese waiter.

But don't get me wrong. This is a really good movie. It's certainly a less glamorized view of mafia life than most of Al Pacino's movies, and it was great to see a young Johnny Depp.

Deffo worth a gander!

A good plot which is perhaps enhanced by the fact this film is based on real events,arguably Johnny Depp in his most mature role and the top-notch Al Pacino.The only slight downer i would say on it is that it ends far too abruptly for my liking and to be honest you feel like you are building to a climax that never really materialises.Fans of Goodfella's and pretty much any other gangster movies will get the most from this flick but it's worth a watch anyway.

Pacino at his best

This is an amazing film, Pacino as the gangster Depp as the cop. The relationship is played out brilliantly by the two main stars. There friendship develops with both comedy and drama, but with underlying pathos. The fight between good and evil but in the end you don't know which is which.

The superb supporting cast make this film an all time classic.

If you get the damaged disc...

Don't send it back!

That way they can't send it to anyone else.

A film worth seeing

I wasn't sure if I would like this film, I chose it more out of curiosity. I'm not a big mob fan or like too much gore, but found this story fasinating especially because of being a true story. It's definately a film worth seeing!

Donnie Brasco

Donnie Brasco is based on the true story of FBI agent Joe Pistone (Johnny Depp), who went undercover and infiltrated the New York City mob during the late 1970s. Joe, who went by the name of 'Donnie Brasco', played his role so effectively that he rose to extraordinary heights within the organization, holding a place alongside his mentor, Lefty (Al Pacino), in the inner circle of boss Sonny Black (Michael Madsen). But, the more time he spent with members of the Mafia, the more like them he became. And, after a while, Joe could no longer tell where his true loyalties lay: to his wife (Anne Heche), family, and government, or to the wiseguys who had adopted him into their exclusive club and lifestyle.

Perhaps the most impressive thing that Newell has done with Donnie Brasco is to cull an atypically low-key and introspective performance from Al Pacino, an actor known for manic, scenery-chewing efforts. Lefty is a world-weary hit man with 26 kills under his belt and little to show for it. '30 years, I'm bustin' my hump... for what?' he laments when he is passed over for promotion within the mob. His dream is to buy a boat and sail far away from civilization, but he doesn't have the money or the gumption to chase that golden fantasy. Pacino presents Lefty as a tragic, and at times pathetic, character who earns our pity and understanding, if not our sympathy. There's little hint of Michael Corleone here -- Lefty is an impotent doubter who knows how it will all end.

While not on Pacino's level, Johnny Depp is competent as the title character, a man who loses his perspective as he becomes seduced by the mobster's lifestyle. Depp lets us see the conflict within Joe as his friendship with Lefty grows into something real and as his wife and children become little more than distant images. Near the beginning of Donnie Brasco, Joe attempts to prevent a hit; by the end, he comes perilously close to taking part. If there are times when Joe's character doesn't seem whole, the blame lies more with the script's failure to provide the needed background or motivation than with Depp's performance.

Although Donnie Brasco is set against a backdrop of crime and violence (and Newell doesn't shrink from showing these elements, although he's more restrained than a Scorsese might be), it, like many better gangster films, is really about family and relationships. Lefty and Joe have a surrogate father/son bond that gradually supersedes all other attachments in either of their lives. As Lefty says at one point, '[The mob] is my family, even more than my [real] family.' It's because Donnie Brasco focuses on characters and relationships that it makes for compelling viewing.

Although the film contains many of the usual mob cliches and stock secondary characters, these don't detract much from the viewer's enjoyment. Truth may be stranger than fiction, but many 'based on real events' motion pictures aren't nearly as well-executed or involving as Donnie Brasco. The film has all the right little touches to be believable, such as Lefty's fascinating lesson to his protege about how to dress, act, and speak to be respected in wiseguy circles. Donnie Brasco takes us into a world that the movies frequently open to us, but somehow this trip seems more real and less glamorized than most. The result is a satisfying film going experience.

Good movie

A good Mafia movie, with a good storyline and great actors

A great gangster wrap with all the usual grim consequences. Where it rises above the norm is in it's portrayal of the everyday mundane as life as a mafioista - ripping off parking meters, selling knocked off razor blades and never really having two pennies to rub together. That is where Pacino excels, you end up feeling sorry for the guy as a no mark, middle management hood. The casting of Anne Heche as Depp's misses is less believable.

Donnie Brasco

Im a great fan of american mafia films, the godfather trilogy, goodfellas etc. This is a very good addition to this genre of film. It follows the rise of 'Donnie Brasco', and undercover FBI agent as he infiltrates the Mafia. Jonny Depp is his usual self, giving an excellent portail of a wannabee wiseguy, hiding a secret. An excellent supporting cast including Al Pacino, Michael Madsen and James Russo make this a definate rental in my opinion.