See Johnny Depp be Italian!

Rating: 9/10 (25 April 2006)

Donnie Brasco, Mob/Cop-Drama
In Johnny Depp's versatile repertoire, this stands as his Mobster movie. And like everything else he's done, it's done almost perfectly.
Donnie Brasco is based on a true story of an undercover FBI agent to who goes uncommonly deep into mafia circles to, of course, gather evidence of wrongdoings of in the world of organized crime. The film co-stars Al Pacino and Michael Madsen as mobsters who take a liking to Depp's Brasco, and eventually lead him deeper into mafia circles, doings, and evils. Anne Heche plays Depp's relatively angry wife.
Here's the breakdown:
The Good:
--Obviously, as any film with Johnny Depp, the acting is very good. Pacino and Madsen roll along as convincing as ever in their roles as mobsters. Like they were born to play only these kind of parts.
--Excellent cinematography and very nice atmosphere.
--The brief gore we have is fantastic.
--A lot of snazzy rules discussed in detail about the underworld of Italian mobsters and their lingo.
--Excellent costumes. The story takes place in the late 70's, and the wardrobe and scenery is quite accurate.
--Giant 70's Cadillacs. What's not to like about that?
--Brilliant character depth and development, especially from Depp and Pacino's characters.
--Nice action sequences.
Didn't Hurt It, Didn't Help:
--The music, aside from the Disco, is quite good.
--Occasionally, the pacing of the story seems a bit odd. This doesn't hurt the film, and won't be obvious to everyone, but to me, there seemed to be some "off" moments.
--Over two hours running time.
--Anne Heche must be going through menopause or something. One second she's happy, the next she's crazy, the next she's p*ssed off. Her acting was quite good, but her character was occasionally annoying. It worked to emphasize the growing problems in her relationship as Depp's wife.
The Bad:
--For some people, the pacing and length will be a turn-off. Some may become gradually disinterested in the film as it progresses.
--Aside from that, there isn't a whole lot to dislike here.
The Ugly:
--Tons of Disco! Once again, what the hell was wrong with people in the 70's??
Memorable Scene:
--Hard to pick just one. I'll go with any time Depp's character slips over that line between undercover FBI agent and Mobster. For instance in the Japanese restaurant.
Acting: 9/10 , Story: 9/10 , Atmosphere: 8/10 , Cinematography: 9/10 , Character Development: 10/10 , Special Effects/Make-up: 9/10 (very minor, but good) , Nudity/Sexuality: 2/10 (brief breast shots only) , Violence: 6/10 (relatively brief, but very entertaining) , Gore: 1/10 (extremely brief, good quality) , Dialog: 9/10 (fagghettaboutit) , Music: 7/10 , Direction: 9/10
Cheesiness: 1/10 , Crappiness: 0/10
Overall: 9/10
Overall, I'd have to recommend this, especially to Johnny Depp fans, and fans of Mafia/Mobster movies. I enjoyed it and found it very entertaining.
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