Donnie Brasco
Chad'z rating: *** (out of 4 = good)
1997, R, 127 minutes [2 hours, 7 minutes]
[drama/crime]
Starring: Johnny Depp (Joe Pistone/Donnie Brasco), Al Pacino (Lefty), Anne Heche (Maggie Pistone), Michael Madsen (Sonny); written by Paul Attanasio; produced by Louis DiGiaimo, Mark Johnson, Barry Levinson, Gail Mutrux; directed by Mike Newell; based on the book "Donnie Brasco: My Undercover Life in the Mafia" by Joseph D. Pistone, Richard Woodley.
Seen February 15, 1998 on home video (borrowed from Chris Wessell).
When it comes to modern gangster movies, it's really difficult to describe and review them without making comparisons to other films of the genre and/or just using the word "routine." I've always subscribed to the philosophy that any idea (no matter how many times it's been used before) can provide for a good story and "Donnie Brasco" clinches this idea. It's not unlike most of the great films of the genre, yet it never apes another's style as it has a good layer of authenticity, even if its core is a tad stale.
The film starts off in typical fashion by defining its atmosphere of New York City in the late 1970s and the mobsters who inhibit it. We meet Lefty (Pacino), an aging wiseguy who can still walk the walk and talk the talk. He and his associates go through the generic motions you expect to see in crime films like this. Somehow he comes across Donnie Brasco (Depp), a younger guy with a lot of spunk who isn't afraid of Lefty and his rep, and even manages to befriend him after Lefty was ready to kill him. It's clear Donnie is new to the life and Lefty recognizes this immediately, telling him all the tricks of the trade. I have never seen this technique of actually revealing the Mafioso idiosyncrasies done before and for this the film deserves credit. However, we soon realize Donnie is actually Joe Pistone, an FBI agent working undercover - a character who symbolizes the viewer as he will soon be purged into the lifestyle and treated as a newcomer.
The first act works as a guided to ot of rhetoric about wiseguy honor, a brief history of the mob, definitions of their slang, and where their money comes from and who it goes to. The screenplay is rather sketchy on the details surrounding these elements, however, the fact they are mentioned at all is quite original. Most gangster movies seem to be made with the notion the viewer already knows how the mob works (probably from watching other gangster movies), and although this attitude comes across, the film tries to fill in all the holes where and when it can and the effort is appreciable.
Thankfully the film doesn't become too caught up in the tedious details of organized crime, and instead opts for character development. Much of the story is told simply through the interaction between Lefty and Donnie. Pacino is outstanding here as the pathetic hood who speaks of his job in the same manner any blue collar worker would. He's old and exhausted but seems to enjoy what he does, just as anyone loyal to the same employer for over 30 years might be. We learn of his accomplishments, which are quite impressive within their context, and when he complains about not being made top boss, it's easy to sympathize with him. Newell constantly plays up this aspect, making it a major theme which works well in the long run. As Donnie is constantly impressing and even one-upping Lefty, it's hard to tell which emotion is more powerful: the fact Donnie is getting closer to nailing the mob; or the fact Lefty has once again been over shadowed.
Most of the film tells the story of Donnie's life in Mafia, which creates for many sub-plots and individual conflicts, but doesn't always seem to come together as a whole. The storytelling is genuinely interesting throughout, even when the motions the characters go through seem familiar. The resonance to Donnie's actual assignment varies, he often reports back to the Feds with detail of his progress, but it doesn't always seem to have much meaning. Back home, his wife Maggie (Heche) is ready to divorce him because he's never a and the family is suffering. Since this is based on a true story I wouldn't doubt this would happen, although the way it is handled often borders on the melodramatic.
My only major complaint is the film seems to have no final act, or at least any real sense of closure. A climax of sorts does occur, but there's little feeling of a payoff. We get a happy ending, which is good, but perhaps a sad ending would have been more powerful.
Aside from a few minor, general flaws, "Donnie Brasco" manages to be a solid piece of storytelling and character development. It may be routine, but it's good, and that's respectful.
Please visit Chad'z Movie Page @ http://members.aol.com/ChadPolenz - over 190 new and old films reviewed in depth, not just blind ratings and quick capsules. Also, check out The FIRST Shay Astar Web Page @ http://members.aol.com/ChadPolenz/ShayAstar.html
e-mail: ChadPolenz@aol.com (C) 1998 Chad Polenz
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