Review of Donnie Brasco (1997) by Jules E — 17 Mar 2011

There's no wonder Donnie Brasco is a well done film with lots of potential but it suffers from a major problem. You can't help but say that you've seen it all before while you're watching it. And for me it was a huge let down. I did enjoy watching it but don't consider it a classic or anything near a great film.

The film lacks actual directorial style. Mike Newell's work was very plain, flat and uninspired. He just took some good moments that other directors used before him and copied them in a lousy way. However, the performances were very good. Al Pacino was in his field of comfort, and he's done this many times before so it was easy for him to give a very good performance. Johnny Depp now did something big and it's no wonder you can't expect something less from a huge talent like his.