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Donnie Brasco (1997)
In 1978, the
US government waged a war against organized crime.
One man was left behind the lines.
Director:
Mike Newell, rated R for violence,
language
  Starring:
Al Pacino, Johnny Depp, Michael Madsen, Bruno Kirby, James Russo, Anne Heche,
Zeljko Ivanek, Gerry Becker, Robert Miano, Brian Tarantina, Rocco Sisto, Zach
Grenier, Gretchen Mol
DML Rating:
★★★★★★★★☆☆
- great
"All my life I've
tried to be the good guy, the guy in the white fucking hat. And
for what? For nothing. I'm not becoming like them; I am them." -
Joe Pistone, to his wife Maggie
Why watch this?
Pacino and Depp deliver stellar performances.
Plot Summary:
This story follows the true story of an undercover FBI agent,
Joe Pistone, who infiltrates the Bonanno crime family in New
York City during the 1970s. Operating under the alias Donnie
Brasco, he is taken under the wing of an aging, low-level mob
hitman named Lefty Ruggiero, with whom he develops a deep and
genuine friendship. As the assignment drags on, the lines
between his real life and his criminal persona blur, forcing him
to balance his crumbling marriage with the severe danger of
blowing his cover.
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Dad's Preview:
This mob crime thriller takes an earnest stab at
authenticity. The characters are just regular guys,
trying to survive an a world where the mafia's rules
keep a fellow always looking over his shoulder. Don't
trust anyone, not even your closest friend. The
relationship between Lefty (Pacino) and Pistone/Brasco (Depp)
is the cement that holds this well-done film together.
At first they are student/mentor, then a real friendship
develops. Depp is excellent as a man undercover, who
tries to balance life in the underworld, with his
loyalties to his family, and the FBI. We can sense that
the story is heading towards disaster, but we have to
see it through to the end. |
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TriStar
Pics, Mandalay Ent., Baltimore Pics,
Mark Johnson Prod.; Sony Pictures Releasing
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