Donnie Brasco (Special Edition)

Rating:
Summary: One of the best, most accurate Mafia portrayals I ever saw!
Review: Next to Goodfellas, this is the best, most accurate Mafia portrayal I have ever seen. Al Pacino, Johnny Depp, Michael Madsen, James Russo, Anne Heche and Bruno Kirby worked very well together, and could not have done any better. I even started to believe that Johnny Depp was really one of them. This is the kind of movie you will want to watch more than once. Buy It now! You won't regret it!

Rating:
Summary: Not your Typical Mobster Movie
Review: I HATE MOB MOVIES!!! Having gotten that off my chest, let me tell you that Donnie Brasco is a movie you buy to watch over and over. The characterizations are that rich, with exceptional performances by Johnny Depp & Al Pacino. This is a study of choices, friendship and when doing the "right thing" gets very, very complicated. Yes, it's also the great & good FBI chasing the big, bad mobsters on one level - so get ready for some violence. But forget about it..... this movie has many layers and is worth the effort. It was the best film I've seen in a long time.

Rating:
Summary: very good mob drama
Review: I have seen this movie three times and it gets better each time. Depp is good in the title role as an FBI agent investigating the everyday lives of the local mob. Pacino and Madsen are also fabulous at their trade. This movie not only shows how things are run within the mafia but also gives us a nice account of the relationship between Brasco, his disgruntled wife Maggie (Heche) and Lefty (Pacino). Overall a very well crafted film by a British director (surprise). A definite must-see on DVD.

Rating:
Summary: Great Movie
Review: Al Pacino learns what its like to be Fredo Corleone in this movie..being stepped on, stepped over, getting no respect, and finally getting killed by people he trusted...he plays a loser trying keep his head above water with great conviction. Johnny Depp holds his own on the screen and gives another great performance as well..

Rating:
Summary: Not the best mob movie around but a decent film
Review: My list of top gangster movies includes the sadly underrated "Casino," then "Goodfellas," the first two "Godfather" films, "Pulp Fiction," "Scarface," and "Reservoir Dogs." While not as good as those classics, "Donnie Brasco" is good gangster movie. Only an actor as great as Al Pacino could make such an unspectatular character as "Lefty" seem interesting. "Lefty" is not very nice, but not particularly mean either. He's just a regular down-and-out guy who has not had much success in his organized crime career. Depp's performance as undercover FBI agent Joe Pistone a.k.a. "Donnie Brasco" is impressive, especially since keeping up with Pacino is no easy task. Michael Madsen gives a great performance as usual in his role as a more successful (and more ruthless) mobster. Madsen is definitely the scariest screen gangster ever. And that's what makes this movie stand out, because it's scary. Not just because of the ever-chilling presense of Madsen, but also because it's disturbing to see such treacherous, decietful behaviour from someone who's supposed to be the "good guy" and you never know what will happen next. Pacino's character, for all his flaws, is ironically the most likable person in the film when compared to the other characters. I did find Anne Heche annoying, as I usually do, but that wasn't a big problem because I couldn't picture a guy like Pistone married to a nice lady. If you have already seen the seven gangster films I've mentioned above, give this tense and unsettling movie a try.

Rating:
Summary: More of the Same
Review: There are so many great mafia/mobster movies out there. This aint one of them. Slow and preachy. Pacino plays a schmuck and Depp's character must have rocks in his head for going undercover. Kind of dull.

Rating:
Summary: One of the best movies of all time
Review: "Donnie Brasco" is definitely one of my top 10 movies. It's not so much because it's a movie about the Mafia, but because the humanizing performance both Pacino and Depp give in this memorable film.

Of course, the story is simply great -- and made for the movies -- because it's based on a true story. Some of the events seem a little farfetched; e.g., when Lefty queries Donnie about the boat and then just walks away from it. But somehow, the film never loses its magnetism, as it keeps the audience guessing and worrying about the agent's fate, and Lefty's fate.

Pacino's performance here is one of his best. There's a bit of over-acting in some scenes, but overall, he makes Lefty a likeable mobster that we even come to pity and root for. Pacino just seems to much more believable as Lefty than godfather in "Godfather 3." Depp's performance as the undercover agent is also strong, but lacks some depth.

BTW, whether you liked this film or not, you should definitely read the book, "Donnie Brasco," written by the FBI agent. The film is actually very different from the book. I won't give anything away, since both the film and book are totally worthwhile.

Rating:
Summary: Read the book, the movie does a great job
Review: You know it really shows what a Class-A type of guy Pacino is (don't get me started on how much he is a bad ass, I love the guy!) he humbles himself from going from the top mobster ever (Michael Corleone) to a mere soldier (Lefty Ruggerio). Awesome acting, captivating story, Depp does an remarkable job as Pistone, I highly recommend the film.

Rating:
Summary: Loved it!
Review: Although I haven't read the book from which this movie is based on, I loved "Donnie Brasco." Also, this movie was a blind buy. I've heard good things about it, so I decided to buy it. I was sceptical as to what this movie would be like, because I always had this vision that Johnny Depp was a "pretty boy" romantic actor. However I did like him in "Secret Window," the only other movie I've ever seen him in. Neeless to say, I was impressed with his performance in this movie. I wasn't expecting him to come close to standing with my favorite actor, Pacino. In this movie, however, Depp showed that he can stand toe-to-toe with the best in the business. Of course, Pacino was excellent in this movie also. I also enjoyed Michael Madsen (better known for his role as Mr. Blonde in "Reservoir Dogs") although, the entire movie I wass waiting for something as memorable as the infamous "ear scene" from "Reservoir Dogs" from him. All in all, I have to say that "Donnie Brasco" is a great, underrated movie, and is now amongst my favorites.

Rating:
Summary: Depp stirkes again
Review: This movie is based on a true story, and so gives us morally conflicted characters-too morally conflicted, if I can be picky (and I can). I like realism in a movie, but not at the expense of a good story, and while the descent of FBI agent into the world of mobsters is compelling, the end of the movie doesn't wrap up in the nice package I would have liked. I do recall being really interested in the particulars of how Depp infiltrates the mob, and I think that revealing those details is what the film has to offer. Depp and Pacino both give solid performances.