Good film overall

Rating: 7/10 (3 August 2010)

Gangster movies reach far and extensively throughout cinema these days. The genre goes back a long ways, and has shifted its tone and changed its course many times throughout cinema history. Gangster movies can stretch from some of the best movies the world has ever seen, to some of the worst. There are many that are must see films, and then there are those that aren't worth bothering with. Donnie Brasco is one of the ones worth watching.
Johnny Depp (Pirates of the Caribbean, Edward Scissorhands) plays FBI agent Joseph D. Pistone who is on a secret undercover mission to gather information on the Mafia under the alias Donnie Brasco. He is clever, sly, and also short tempered. All these play an important role in the development in his character, as well as the story. Donnie first meets and quickly befriends Benjamin "Lefty" Ruggiero, one of the boss' right hand men. Because of this friendship, Donnie Brasco quickly gets his foot in the door and begins working his way up the mafia ladder. Yet, it isn't long until he becomes too engulfed in his alter ego, and he watches as the operation, as well as his family life, crumble around him.
Donnie Brasco is a movie filled with intelligent and fast paced dialog, with characters that are all very intriguing and equally important to the progression of the story. With the kind of cast line-up that Donnie Brasco advertises, you'd expect nothing less than superb. And that is what you get. The fantastic big name stars deliver a very believable look into the darker side of mafia life. The chemistry between Depp and Pacino is very convincing, as well as riveting and exciting. Every exchange between the two will have you wanting more. Watching two great actors such as Depp and Pacino is a delicious treat to the eyes and ears, especially with hearty and fulfilling dialog to carry their characters. I think I've made it clear that the character driven aspect of Donnie Brasco is nothing short of brilliant.
Before I continue I should make note that Donnie Brasco is based on a true story. The key word in this description is always "based." When a movie is based on a true story it is expected that the truth will be stretched and dramatized for cinematic effect. However, I felt that this was only slightly true for Donnie Brasco. It seems that the movie didn't deviate much from the actual events, and this leads to a large chunk of the film simply being mob men doing mob things. Of course it all builds up and plays into the climax of the film, but I found myself losing interest towards the middle of the film. The way the film ends requires a lot of events to happen to get to that point, and some of these events aren't as thrilling as one might expect. Donnie Brasco seems to slow down and lose its focus in the middle, only to pick up again towards the end.
I also had a problem with the story of Donnie Brasco's home life, where he is Joe Pistone. Because of his extremely secretive job, Pistone must keep many secrets from his wife and children for their own protection. While this side story ends up playing an important role in the film, I thought these scenes seemed out of place and possibly could have been worked in better. The storyline within these scenes themselves is very important and obviously very necessary. There is also the ending. The climax of the film is fantastic and will take you by surprise, but the very ending of the film is very abrupt and makes you feel like you might have missed something. It could possibly require a second viewing to fully understand what happened, but I'm not sure yet.
From a character standpoint Donnie Brasco is excellent. The characters are great and their dialog greater. It is a story that keeps you interested, yet also leaves something to be desired. Overall Donnie Brasco is well worth the watch.