A good, meaningful film about the mafia in the 1970s

Rating: 9/10 (22 December 2004)

While the early to mid 90's had a slew of mafia films, 'Donnie Brasco' stands out. With its rich screenplay and strong performances, 'Donnie Brasco' is a good film that ultimately is more about the friendship between two people rather than the mafia.
Joseph D. Pistone (Johnny Depp) is an excellent FBI agent who goes undercover in the 1970s New York mob as diamond salesman Donnie Brasco. His lead man is Lefty Ruggiero (Al Pacino), an aging and somewhat of a lowlife gangster who sees his chance for redemption in "Donnie". Pistone's wife, Maggie (Ann Heche) doesn't know much about her husband's career and soon their marriage begins to get rocky as he spends more and more time undercover, eventually seemingly one of the mafia's own. Also playing a central role in the story is Sonny Black (Michael Madsen), an up and coming gangster who seems to be getting more respect than Lefty. As the plot develops, Pistone loses himself in the role of Brasco and forms a true bond with Lefty. To his knowledge, and to the knowledge of his fellow mafia members Donnie is a trustworthy gentleman, and the friendship between Lefty and Donnie only increases. Lefty is clearly a degenerate, he constantly mumbles and complains about the poor treatment he gets from mafia chieftain Sonny Red (Robert Maino), and also is constantly asking people for money. He forms a true friendship with Donnie as he tries to gain some altitude back, and as he sees Black getting higher and higher than he does. Soon, the situation begins to escalate as the FBI begins to close in on Pistone's case, and Pistone must make a difficult decision about Lefty who he has formed the true bond with.
Paul Attanasiano (Quiz Kids) based his screenplay on the novel of the same name by the real life Pistone and Richard Wooley. While the novel is a clear autobiography of sorts, the film has no narration. Instead the narrative is made clear by Attanasiano's script as he blends the life of Pistone and of Brasco, two separate characters who eventually become one. His screenplay is dynamite. Many mafia films showcase tough guy dialog, but in the instance of 'Donnie Brasco' this dialog serves a higher purpose. The conversations and the actions between Lefty and Donnie form a true relationship, despite their opposite professions. There are also some magnetic scenes of drama and brutal violence, especially at a Japanese bar when Donnie doesn't want to take his shoe off. While some background characters may seem like the typical mafia lowlifes, the simple characterization of Lefty and Donnie is pure magic. Mike Newell, who's previous list of credits include the comedy 'Four Weddings and a Funeral' brings appropriate direction to the film. This film is not necessarily about the mafia at a certain time like 'Goodfellas' or 'The Godfather' is, but rather more of a relationship film, showing the way two men come together despite their circumstances. Also very worthy of mention is talented composer Patrick Doyle's musical score, which adds to the emotional effect of many scenes. The performances by Pacino and Depp, as usual, are fantastic. Pacino is given a real chance to shine as the aging Lefty, a man unlike his charismatic character in 'The Godfather' series. Depp once again displays his ability to simply submerge himself completely in a role, and as an added bonus the character acts, adding on layers.
'Donnie Brasco' is a good film. The fresh screenplay, strong acting, and sharp direction makes it very worthy of mention. While it at times gets too slow, or the story sometimes loses focus, it still is a very worthy film of watching.
9/10