Pacino Should Have Been Nominated

Rating: 9/10 (27 February 2018)

Continuing my plan to watch every Johnny Depp movie in order, I come to Donnie (1997)
I can not fault anything in this movie. It's just short of perfect for me!! I revisit this at least once a year, sometimes more. It has it all, a great soundtrack scenes with the tension racked up to the maximum, violence and moments of unexpected humour.
The acting here is superb. You expect it from Pacino who is on familiar ground. But Depp absolutely nails it in this movie. He was always great back then, and here is no exception. Michael Madsen does not disappoint and neither does Bruno Kirby, James Russo or Anne Heche.
If Donnie Brasco belongs to any actor, though, it's Al Pacino. Long before he was a loud, screaming caricature of himself Pacino was in top form here, and should have been nominated for an Oscar!! His final scene is all the more heartbreaking for the feeling he brings it. It's an exit that does justice to both the actor and the role. I think it's some of Pacino's best acting and it is without dialogue.
This was the highest crowd I had seen at a Johnny Depp movie at the time. and it was still only half full.
Donnie Brasco was the first Depp movie since Benny & Joon in 1993 (6 movies in 4 years) to make back its budget at the domestic box office. As it grossed $41 million at the domestic box office to end the year the 54th highest grossing movie of the year and become Depp's third-biggest grosser.