Great gangster/crime drama

Rating: 8/10 (1 May 2004)

When I heard about the main actors in this film, I was already sure that it had to be good; with names like Al Pacino and Michael Madsen, you can't go totally wrong. Johnny Depp is also pretty good, in some films, this definitely being one of them. I have to admit, not having seen too many good gangster films, I was very excited to see this, considering the great names in the cast, and the promising commercials I saw for it. It was really a great movie; the whole atmosphere of the gangster world, organized crime, was perfectly captured in the movie. The "wiseguys" acted, talked and moved like gangsters. The plot is very interesting and captivating, and it moves along at a great pace, considering the length of the movie. It keeps your interest for the duration of the film, as it develops almost constantly. The actors all do terrific jobs, especially the three main actors. The characters are well-written and their actions are entirely credible. The cinematography is pretty good, especially when depicting violence, as it really has the effect on you that the director obviously wanted it to. All in all, a great movie about the mob and the whole environment, but it could have been slightly better. You know too little of the gangsters' intentions and motivations, which makes it too difficult to relate to anyone else than Johnny Depp's character, and his wife's character. I recommend this to anyone who's interested in the environment of the world of organized crime, who likes dramas. I also recommend it to any fans of Depp, Pacino or Madsen. 8/10