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Plot - Donnie Brasco (Depp) meets and befriends Benjamin 'Lefty' Ruggiero (Pacino), earning himself a route into the New York mafia. As time goes on, the relationship between the two men grows closer and closer. Which is all fine except for the fact that Donnie Brasco doesn't really exist, he is merely the undercover persona of FBI agent Joe Pistone. The longer he is undercover however, the more that Pistone seems to be getting dragged into the world. As a result his marriage begins to fall apart, and when he doesn't report to his handlers for an extended period of time questions begin to arise about whether he has gone off the reservation or not. Based on a true story.
As a general rule, gangster films are not a great draw for me. I've just never found a massive appeal in watching the inner workings of the mob, and am often turned off by the apparent glorification of such individuals that many films seem to descend to. I found Donnie Brasco however to be a very compelling exception to that rule, largely as a result of two terrific central performances from Al Pacino and Johnny Depp.
Depp is absolutely electric as the titular Donnie Brasco (aka Joseph Pistone), wonderfully portraying the ever decreasing divide between the two disparate personalities. He breezes through the film with a great charisma and a real harshness to him. There's such a fantastic fire to him throughout the film, particularly in moments where his secret is threatened. The scene at a Japanese restaurant is thrillingly intense. I'd certainly rank this up with the likes of Ed Wood as one of Depp's best performances. I'll admit that Al Pacino can be a bit hit or miss for me. There's no doubt I have seen him give some fantastic performances (Godfather, Serpico, Dog Day Afternoon etc) but I'm not so fond of him when he goes a bit bigger than normal; when he breaks out the loud voice and the bulging eyes. Just stop shouting Al! I just feel his mother should be on set to remind him, “inside voices Alfredo.” Here however he is excellent as he reigns in such eccentricities to play a much more down to earth, cynical, world weary character. The role very much plays into his own career from his gangster days (Godfather) to his own turn as an informant in Serpico. There's a tangible sadness to his character, haunted by the problems of his son and resentful about his treatment within the corporation. Despite his choice of profession I actually came to like Lefty, just as Donnie does. He tackles his job with such honour and respect. We may not admire what he does, but we admire how he does it. Pacino imbues Lefty with a real pathos but also a really dry humour. Together the two men share a great macho chemistry, and any time that they are given the screen to themselves, away from the rest of the cast, the sparks really do fly. Also strong in supporting roles are Michael Madsen and Anne Heche. Madsen may not deliver a performance that we haven't seen from him several times before, but when you're so damn effective at playing such a cold-hearted, menacing b*stard then why change anything? He proves to be suitably fearsome as the loose cannon, Sonny Black. Also quite impressive I felt was Anne Heche as Jo's beleaguered wife even if it's a bit of a thankless role at times.
In a rare and unexpected move, Donnie Brasco turned out to be a gangster film with a surprising amount of heart at its core. This arises from the relationship that develops between Lefty and Donnie. With Lefty acting as a mentor it initially has a teacher-student dynamic to it. But as they get closer, and as we find out about the problems that Lefty's own kid has, it develops into something more akin to a father/son like bond. There really is a great degree of love that is formed between the two men. For all its gangsters and stings and informants, Donnie Brasco is actually a film about friendship. It's a sharp, fascinating character study about these two men. And the dynamic between the two is compelling. Donnie grows closer and closer to Lefty, all the while in the knowledge that it's Lefty who will eventually pay the price for his deception. And I found the respective endings for both characters to be very poignant and quite moving. Having vouched for Donnie, Lefty knows that it is most likely the end of the road for him. He doesn't fight it however. He has too much respect for the rules of the game, and doesn't want to put his family in danger. The moment where he removes everything of value and leaves it in a drawer so that his family will benefit from it I found to be really quite touching. It's an excellent little scene. While after all that Donnie has done all he gets is a shiny medal and a check for a measly $500. All that time, all that risk, possibly destroying his family life forever, sealing the fate of Lefty….all of that for so little. He gets a half-assed presentation from a group of individuals who can't seem to get out of there fast enough.
As gangster flicks go, Donnie Brasco is actually quite minimal in terms of its violence. And it's probably a pretty smart move as the film needs both our sympathies to lie with the characters, and for us to understand how Depp could have so much admiration for Lefty. It's hard to do either of those if they are constantly blowing guys away. The violence may be spare, but what there is remains visceral and shocking. The scene where Depp and co. are sawing dead bodies into chunks was quite something. What I felt the film was very successful in achieving was recreating the sense of uncertainty and anxiety that must have plagued Donnie's life for every moment of every day. Throughout the film there were numerous occasions where I felt the tensions rise as I thought that they were on to him, and that he was about to get whacked. I just cannot for the life of me imagine living such an existence.
The film is blessed with the good fortune that it is based on a true story, and has the first hand account from Joe Pistone himself as its source. As a result the events, the dialogue and the characters all feel authentic. Even with such a great aid though the film's writer, Paul Attanasio, still deserves great credit for taking the story and crafting a fine screenplay from it. It's dialogue is sharply observed and heavy on Mafia code, and really presents a showcase for its cast to shine. Also impressing is the film's director, Mike Newell. Given that to this point his most notable work had been Four Wedding & a Funeral he may not exactly have seemed like an obvious choice. Given the film's lack of violence however, and the importance placed on the dialogue and the performances of its cast, he actually proves a very suitable choice. He does a fine job creating such a tense, suspicious atmosphere.
So is Donnie Brasco a great film? Well what can I say but, “Forget about it!”
Conclusion - Donnie Brasco had all the ingredients to be a fine film, but it's certainly elevated to greater heights as a result of the performances from Depp and Pacino. Both men are fantastic. Outside of that though it is also a strongly written and directed piece, with commendable back-up from its supporting cast. I've often heard this film be described as one of the most underrated films of the 90s, and on this evidence I may be inclined to agree.
PS - There's one question I had about the film that someone can maybe answer for me. Or at least give me their theory. Towards the end of the film the FBI actually goes to the Mafia and reveals the truth about Donnie to them. Initially I thought he was being sold out but that obviously wasn't the case. So why exactly do they do it?
As a little treat here's another 90s flick
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Year of release
1997
1997
Directed by
Mike Newell
Mike Newell
Written by
Paul Attanasio (script)
Joseph D. Pistone (book)
Richard Woodley (book)
Paul Attanasio (script)
Joseph D. Pistone (book)
Richard Woodley (book)
Starring
Johnny Depp
Al Pacino
Michael Madsen
Anne Heche
Bruno Kirby
Johnny Depp
Al Pacino
Michael Madsen
Anne Heche
Bruno Kirby
Donnie Brasco
+
Plot - Donnie Brasco (Depp) meets and befriends Benjamin 'Lefty' Ruggiero (Pacino), earning himself a route into the New York mafia. As time goes on, the relationship between the two men grows closer and closer. Which is all fine except for the fact that Donnie Brasco doesn't really exist, he is merely the undercover persona of FBI agent Joe Pistone. The longer he is undercover however, the more that Pistone seems to be getting dragged into the world. As a result his marriage begins to fall apart, and when he doesn't report to his handlers for an extended period of time questions begin to arise about whether he has gone off the reservation or not. Based on a true story.
As a general rule, gangster films are not a great draw for me. I've just never found a massive appeal in watching the inner workings of the mob, and am often turned off by the apparent glorification of such individuals that many films seem to descend to. I found Donnie Brasco however to be a very compelling exception to that rule, largely as a result of two terrific central performances from Al Pacino and Johnny Depp.
Depp is absolutely electric as the titular Donnie Brasco (aka Joseph Pistone), wonderfully portraying the ever decreasing divide between the two disparate personalities. He breezes through the film with a great charisma and a real harshness to him. There's such a fantastic fire to him throughout the film, particularly in moments where his secret is threatened. The scene at a Japanese restaurant is thrillingly intense. I'd certainly rank this up with the likes of Ed Wood as one of Depp's best performances. I'll admit that Al Pacino can be a bit hit or miss for me. There's no doubt I have seen him give some fantastic performances (Godfather, Serpico, Dog Day Afternoon etc) but I'm not so fond of him when he goes a bit bigger than normal; when he breaks out the loud voice and the bulging eyes. Just stop shouting Al! I just feel his mother should be on set to remind him, “inside voices Alfredo.” Here however he is excellent as he reigns in such eccentricities to play a much more down to earth, cynical, world weary character. The role very much plays into his own career from his gangster days (Godfather) to his own turn as an informant in Serpico. There's a tangible sadness to his character, haunted by the problems of his son and resentful about his treatment within the corporation. Despite his choice of profession I actually came to like Lefty, just as Donnie does. He tackles his job with such honour and respect. We may not admire what he does, but we admire how he does it. Pacino imbues Lefty with a real pathos but also a really dry humour. Together the two men share a great macho chemistry, and any time that they are given the screen to themselves, away from the rest of the cast, the sparks really do fly. Also strong in supporting roles are Michael Madsen and Anne Heche. Madsen may not deliver a performance that we haven't seen from him several times before, but when you're so damn effective at playing such a cold-hearted, menacing b*stard then why change anything? He proves to be suitably fearsome as the loose cannon, Sonny Black. Also quite impressive I felt was Anne Heche as Jo's beleaguered wife even if it's a bit of a thankless role at times.
In a rare and unexpected move, Donnie Brasco turned out to be a gangster film with a surprising amount of heart at its core. This arises from the relationship that develops between Lefty and Donnie. With Lefty acting as a mentor it initially has a teacher-student dynamic to it. But as they get closer, and as we find out about the problems that Lefty's own kid has, it develops into something more akin to a father/son like bond. There really is a great degree of love that is formed between the two men. For all its gangsters and stings and informants, Donnie Brasco is actually a film about friendship. It's a sharp, fascinating character study about these two men. And the dynamic between the two is compelling. Donnie grows closer and closer to Lefty, all the while in the knowledge that it's Lefty who will eventually pay the price for his deception. And I found the respective endings for both characters to be very poignant and quite moving. Having vouched for Donnie, Lefty knows that it is most likely the end of the road for him. He doesn't fight it however. He has too much respect for the rules of the game, and doesn't want to put his family in danger. The moment where he removes everything of value and leaves it in a drawer so that his family will benefit from it I found to be really quite touching. It's an excellent little scene. While after all that Donnie has done all he gets is a shiny medal and a check for a measly $500. All that time, all that risk, possibly destroying his family life forever, sealing the fate of Lefty….all of that for so little. He gets a half-assed presentation from a group of individuals who can't seem to get out of there fast enough.
Film Trivia Snippets - In an interview with the real Joseph Pistone, he revealed that he was never allowed to go home to see his family as is depicted in the movie. In fact Pistone didn't see his family for at least two years while he was working undercover. /// At various stages of the production Tom Cruise, John Travolate and Andy Garcia were all attached to star. /// Near the end of the film there is a rather perfunctory scene of Joe practicing his shooting at the FBI's firing range. This was inserted merely to appease the studio who wanted a shot of Depp firing a gun that they could use for the film's trailer. /// Despite the man still being in protective custody, Johnny Depp was actually able to meet with Joseph Pistone on a number of occasions to help craft the role. Depp also took shooting lessons from the FBI.
The film is blessed with the good fortune that it is based on a true story, and has the first hand account from Joe Pistone himself as its source. As a result the events, the dialogue and the characters all feel authentic. Even with such a great aid though the film's writer, Paul Attanasio, still deserves great credit for taking the story and crafting a fine screenplay from it. It's dialogue is sharply observed and heavy on Mafia code, and really presents a showcase for its cast to shine. Also impressing is the film's director, Mike Newell. Given that to this point his most notable work had been Four Wedding & a Funeral he may not exactly have seemed like an obvious choice. Given the film's lack of violence however, and the importance placed on the dialogue and the performances of its cast, he actually proves a very suitable choice. He does a fine job creating such a tense, suspicious atmosphere.
So is Donnie Brasco a great film? Well what can I say but, “Forget about it!”
Conclusion - Donnie Brasco had all the ingredients to be a fine film, but it's certainly elevated to greater heights as a result of the performances from Depp and Pacino. Both men are fantastic. Outside of that though it is also a strongly written and directed piece, with commendable back-up from its supporting cast. I've often heard this film be described as one of the most underrated films of the 90s, and on this evidence I may be inclined to agree.
PS - There's one question I had about the film that someone can maybe answer for me. Or at least give me their theory. Towards the end of the film the FBI actually goes to the Mafia and reveals the truth about Donnie to them. Initially I thought he was being sold out but that obviously wasn't the case. So why exactly do they do it?