Won't soon "fuhgetaboutit"

Rating: 8/10 (28 February 2000)

A really powerful film. Johnny Depp was absolutely excellent in a fairly conventional role. He's made his living doing oddball parts, but here he could be the guy next door (if you live in New York.) To me, as the film went on, as Brasco sank further and further into the Mafia milieu, Depp looked more and more like Ray Liotta in Goodfellas. I mean a real physical resemblance, which he doesn't normally have at all. And what can you say about another masterful performance by Al Pacino. Lefty's pathos oozed right off the screen. His misplaced paternalism toward Brasco was perfect, teaching him the ropes about Mafiosi ways, like the difference between introducing someone as "a friend of mine" as opposed to "a friend of ours". Michael Madsen was reliably menacing, as always. This is really good stuff.