Donnie Brasco the new Godfather? Fuhgeddaboudit.

Rating: 6/10 (26 November 2006)

A great cast including 3 of my personal favourite actors (Depp, Madsen, and Pacino) made my expectations of this film high. Other positive attention from people, critics, and not least the Oscars led me to expect a gangster film to rival The Godfather for the first time since Goodfellas. However, this it did not do. Although the acting wasn't bad, the script made it impossible for their characters to be taken seriously. One clichéd attempt at recreating the aforementioned films after another made this tedious and cringe-worthy to watch - especially in light of the resumes of the cast. The fact that the film was based on a true story does give it credibility, and doubtless it may be a faithful version of the actual events considering the involvement of Pistone himself in the production. However, this does not excuse the fact that we are presented with one mob stereotype after another - regardless of how close to reality these stereotypes are. It may have worked as a tongue-in-cheek film along the lines of Wiseguys, but as a serious, emotionally affecting gangster film it fails. If you want a "How To.." guide in being a stereotypical Hollywood-style gangster, this is the film for you. If you're a fan of Depp, Madsen, Pacino, the gangster genre and good films as a whole - DON'T see this movie.