Review of Donnie Brasco (1997) by Daniel T — 20 Jan 2010

I have always been one to say that Johnny Depp is at his best when Tim Burton isn't around. Now, don't get me wrong, Edward Scissorhands is one of my favorite movies, and I did enjoy Sweeny Todd.

I can say I enjoyed those, but I still say Johnny Depps most well acted rolls are Jack Sparrow, J.M. Barrie, and now Joe Pistone A.k.a. Donnie Brasco. This movie was well directed, well written, and superbly acted by the two leads Johnny Depp and Al Pacino.

Johnny Depp really carries you through his struggles of being drawn into this Gangster life, and how if tortures him, and he almost develops a small personality disorder, in which he forgets who is Joe Pistone, and who is Donnie Brasco, though he never forgets that he truly is a good person down deep.

Al Pacino truly causes you to care for the bad guy. You feel sorry for this schmuck who has worked so hard and gained so little from the guys he works with, they talk of respect but they never show it.

Seeing the fatherly relationship develop between Pacino and Depp was well paced, and at times you forget about it, but then the hospital scene happens with Pacino's real son, and you really see that for a second it's probably Pistone talking to Pacino, not Donnie.

They do so much with the leads emotions, and of course the audiences, that by the end of the movie you truly are saddened that none of that really happened, I definitely suggest this film to anyone who loved Gangster/Cop films, and really well written character pieces.

Enjoy!