A poignant and insightful character study ... carried by two masterful performances from Johnny Depp and Al Pacino ...

Rating: 9/10 (5 September 2012)

Whatever "Donnie Brasco" achieves is all the more impressive because it was made in 1997, after the successes of "Goodfellas" and "Pulp Fiction" and much more, the film was directed by an outsider: the English Mike Newell who did "Four Weddings and a Funeral".
But when you watch "Donnie Brasco", these considerations never matter because there's much more to appreciate than the typical gangster material, and we know that the best gangster movies were impacting because crime only provided the necessary setting to highlight much more fascinating human dilemmas. Family in "The Godfather", friendship in "Once Upon a Time in America", the gangster world is like the best amoral standard to underline some moral or redeeming qualities.
"Donnie Brasco" is based on the true story of an undercover FBI agent named Joe Piscone who infiltrated the Mafia in the late 70's and who ultimately contributed to no less than 100 arrests, a real earthquake in gangster-land, and that there is still a price put on his head says a lot about his 'legacy', and about his talent. Infiltrated as 'Donnie Brasco', Joe went so deep in the Mafia he was at two inches of becoming a made-guy, he was a living irony as a precious man for both cops and criminals. And that's part of the excitement when you follow "Donnie Brasco": it invites us to watch Johnny Depp playing two roles within a role, he's Joe Pistone with the FBI and with his wife, remarkably played by Anne Heche, and within his gang, he's Donnie aka Don the Jeweler. On that double-identity level, Depp demonstrates his tremendous acting abilities as the titular character.
Indeed, when you look at Depp's portrayal of Brasco, his facial expressions are dark and immobile, as if he was posing for a photograph. He's literally putting a mask that never leaves his face, that's not a detail because each of his expressions and looks are calculated. He knows that any hesitation or unnatural act would sign his death warrant, so he must focus on his performance, that's method acting at its extreme. Depp embodies the pressure constantly endured by Donnie in a virtuoso performance that possibly got unnoticed because it didn't show a wide range of emotions, but it must take a superhuman acting strength to play such a restrictive roles with conviction. Depp succeed in what Di Caprio generally fails in my opinion: looking tough despite a boyish look. And Depp's convincingness is not just crucial for the film, but for the whole plot, because we have to believe that he would be immediately trusted.
"Donnie Brasco" never takes its 'based on true story' for granted, the process of Donnie's infiltration is believable because of Paul Attanasio's Oscar-nominated script (the writer was nominated for "Quiz Show" three years before) and Pacino's performance as Lefty Ruggiero. The film probably closes what I believe is Pacino's gangster ark, he played the most ruthless Mafia Don, Michael Corleone, a small-time gangster who went at the top, Tony Montana, and now, he's Lefty, a hit-man with a 30-year old experience, totally disillusioned about his dreams to be at the top and drinking to forget his lousy condition. We can believe that a man like that would need a rookie, someone to make him feel important in the crime hierarchy. Lefty is poignantly sympathetic when he takes Donnie under his 'protection' and teaches him all the ropes of the business. He's a living encyclopedia when it comes to the Mafia codes, so his character does not only enrich Donnie's knowledge, but also the FBI's and ours.
"Donnie Brasco" is an informative treasure about the Mafia in the 70's, immersing us this time, in a small gang, so 'small' it kind of makes the film alternatively funny, like when they offer a lion to Lefty because he loves animals, or have fun like a bunch of kids in Florida and dramatic, the film features one of the most graphic shootouts and disposal of bodies you'll ever see, or both effects like in the ambiguous 'Japanese' restaurant scene, a moment that seems to borrow a lot from Scorsese and Tarantino. The casting is a strike of genius, Michael Madsen as the leader Sonny Black, the enemy of Sonny Red (unintentional humor) is genuinely frightening and charismatic, he lacks the boyish charm of "Mr. Blonde" but not the violence and Bruno Kirby is a more jovial and less violence-prone version of Joe Pesci.
Still, "Donnie Brasco" is not the chronicle of a successful undercover job, but a heart-breaking friendship story between two men, Lefty and Donnie. Joe does his job and would never consider himself a rat, unless his actions turn out to be fatal to the one who answered for him. We're all humans, and the beauty of the film is that the line between Donnie becoming a hostage to his job and developing Stockholm syndrome finds the right level of ambiguity. Donnie feels he becomes one of them but sometimes, it's the only way to be alive in the eye of the hurricane. And maybe he's not becoming one of them, but he realizes that even in this criminal and amoral world, they are like anyone. Donnie demonstrates this dilemma and Lefty proves it to be right, the most haunting scene of the film and one of Pacino's finest occurs when he leaves his house, understanding what he's sent for. He leaves his stuff in a drawer, keep it opens and leaves a last message to Donnie: "if it had to be anyone, I'm glad it was him".
At the end, he doesn't regret what he did, he still loves Donnie and that he owed him his death matters less than the nice moments they had. That's the heart of the film, and what elevates "Donnie Brasco" among the best of the genre, and believe me, it only gets better after each viewing.