Donnie Brasco: Brass, Brassiest, Brasco

Rating: 8/10 (6 February 2013)

The first time I watched Donnie Brasco, I did so with a bit of trepidation. The director, Mike Newell's previous work was Four Weddings and a Funeral, which didn't exactly line up well with gritty crime drama.
The story itself is based on the real life story of Federal Agent Joe Pistone, who went undercover as the titular Donnie Brasco to infiltrate one of the crime families of New York. Donnie meets Lefty, an aging hit-man who takes a liking to Donnie and they form a rather strong friendship. Soon after, the mob starts going into internal turmoil, threatening Lefty, Donnie and their associates. Meanwhile, his longterm undercover stint, and growing role in the mob, causes problems in Donnie's real life family. Overall, it's a very convincing drama and the pull-apart between the mob world and his home life credibly strains the character. Also amazing is to watch Al Pacino's Lefty, a truly interesting character, a hard man who's feeling left out of the spotlight after years of service. The relationship between Donnie and Lefty is believably built, along with Donnie's entry into the mafia underworld.
The film is well produced as a late 90's film but also manages to get the 70's details done well enough that, if not for its production polish, you'd think it could've been shot in the era. Performers are top notch, with Jonny Depp showing a strong transition from quirky young character actor to dramatic leading man material and Al Pacino showing that he can be subtle with a remarkably subdued character.
Watching Donnie Brasco again was a treat and I'm pleased to say it holds up very well. I sometimes feel that it just suffers from being undermentioned when it comes to strong crime/mob dramas. With such a potent story of friendship, loyalty and self-destruction at its core, great performances, a solid production, it's a film that deserves a more mention. So, if you haven't seen it and you're up for a crime drama, I can recommend Donnie Brasco without reservations. My rating is 8/10.