Superb Casting

Rating: Null/10 (23 October 2003)

The main interest in Donnie Brasco is the characters and their relationships, as the film questions the hypocrisy of the mob's supposed principles of honour and respect. Pacino's character draws sympathy in a way that an old family dog might. One of his most subtle yet impressive performances as an ageing mobster. This is supported well by Johnny Depp as the protagonist. As the undercover cop in an operation to infiltrate the mob, we follow Depp's character in his descent into mob life. Depp proves his versatility once again; this is a straighter role than you might expect, but he does it as convincingly as he has done any other role. The support cast is less memorable, though Michael Madsen is typically edgy as the psycho-gangster. Director Mike Newell handles the pace comfortably, gently shifting from low to high tension. I would mark this as one of the most enjoyable films of the gangster genre, as stereotypes are largely ignored in favour of a more unexpected portrayal of gangster life.