Donnie Brasco
by Robbo
Posted on 15 July 2021
Rating -
Donnie Brasco is a 1997 American crime drama film directed by Mike Newell, and starring Al Pacino and Johnny Depp. Michael Madsen, Bruno Kirby, James Russo, and Anne Heche appeared in supporting roles.
The film, written by Paul Attanasio, is based on the 1988 nonfiction book Donnie Brasco: My Undercover Life in the Mafia by Joseph D. Pistone, and Richard Woodley.
Set in 1970’s New York City, Johnny Depp plays Joe Pistone, a young FBI agent who has gone undercover as jewel thief “Donnie Brasco.” He meets Lefty Ruggiero, an aging long-time gangster in the Bonanno crime family when he asks Donnie to sell a diamond he acquired from a strip club owner.
Lefty teaches Donnie the rules of the Mafia and introduces him to members of his crime family including Sonny (Madsen), Nicky (Kirby), Paulie (Russo) and rival crew leader Sonny Red.
After the boss of the family is killed, Sonny receives a promotion, angering Lefty who feels his years of service make him more deserving.
As the crew runs a series of successful shakedowns and hijackings in the city, Pistone infiltrates the crime family and collects more information for the FBI via wiretap recordings. He also ends up forming a genuine bond with Lefty, who struggles to make ends meet despite a long career in the mob.
Pistone’s marriage with his wife Maggie continues to worsen due to long absences while undercover, leaving her alone to look after their three daughters. Pistone’s behavior increasingly becomes more like that of the criminal he pretends to be.
Donnie Brasco focuses mainly on the relationship between Donnie and Lefty. It starts as a teacher-student relationship as Lefty guides Donnie through the world of the New York mob, but their relationship grows into a love, more father and son as Lefty’s own son is a screw up and a drug addict.
This love for Donnie even clouds Lefty’s judgement in the way he overlooks some suspicions he has about Donnie.
It is a really good film, exposing what it is like to work undercover. The balancing act between work and family life, and the way that undercover agents are inevitably drawn into the life they are investigating, often having to do unsavoury things to maintain their cover.
Depp really captures Donnie’s descent into mob life, becoming the very thing he is fighting against, capturing the duality and paranoia of the character whose secret could be revealed at any time.
Pacino really plays Lefty very well. A minor cog in the mob who exaggerates his history and position to a young and naive Donnie. A proud man who you both fear and pity at the same time.
Donnie Brasco gives an interesting and often unseen twist to the typical crime genre and is a really great film.
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