Review of Donnie Brasco (1997) by Conner R — 24 Apr 2011
I know a lot of people flat out hate Donnie Brasco and call it the poor man's Goodfellas or Scorsese light, but I love it and think those accusations are completely different from the truth. Donnie Brasco does everything it can to take the glamor away from the gangster lifestyle.
It shows the terrible lives and choices of the people involved. A lot of this is done through the simple character moments and sequences. However, the main way this is achieved is through the slam dunk performances given by Johnny Depp and Al Pacino.
They manage to be sympathetic characters in their own ways, but also show the true ugly side of being a "wiseguy". Both of these characters are very unhappy people who consciously make decisions that ruin their lives.
While Donnie manages to escape his death trap in the end, we also see that some people never get out of the game. While this is not as polished and beautiful looking as say Goodfellas, it has no need to be.
It's extremely effective the way it is.
This review of Donnie Brasco (1997) was written by Conner R on 24 Apr 2011.
Donnie Brasco has generally received positive reviews.
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