A complete triumph in every respect...
Added 1/14/2010
Color me surprised, but this movie was downright fantastic. I really expected something so much less than what I received. Instead, what I found was a deeply moving, completely engrossing, totally organic and convincing portrait of the grit that is the life of crime AND the life of those who try and prevent it. With comparisons to `The Godfather' and `GoodFellas', `Donnie Brasco' is the type of film that really had to deliver in order to make any sort of impact.
Personally, `Donnie Brasco' blows `GoodFellas' out of the water.
Based on the real life memoirs of Joe Pistone, `Donnie Brasco' centers around the world of Joe (or Donnie), an ambitious undercover cop who infiltrates the New York mob scene when he gets placed under the wing of Benjamin `Lefty' Ruggiero, a `made man' who takes a liking (almost paternal) to Donnie. As Donnie gets deeper and deeper into this world of which he is trying to expose, he finds his personal life slipping away from him. Soon, his family is torn in two as his wife begins to resent him for his involvement and before he knows it, he has become the very thing he has sworn to destroy.
I have made it pretty clear that I personally feel Al Pacino has wasted his talent pretty much as soon as the 70's ended. He is one of those actors who was SO good and then suddenly became nothing more than a cliché. He is nearly irrelevant today. That said, his performance in `Donnie Brasco' is a work of genius. I just cannot believe that this is AL PACINO. He really reaches back to his glory days and delivers an outstanding portrayal of a man intent of surviving yet never so much that he loses touch of what makes him human. Watching Lefty interact with the ruthless people around him brings an odd fascination. Lefty seems almost like an outcast. He is strong and certainly authentic, but he feels almost too warm at times, which adds to his character's remarkable development (such a superbly crafted sympathetic character that never grates on clichéd manipulative sentiments).
I've also made it pretty clear that I consider Johnny Depp an overrated actor. So many consider him the `it' guy today. It is very cool to like Johnny Depp, but personally he hasn't delivered a strong performance for me in many years. I was hesitant to watch this film because I am not a fan of either Pacino or Depp, but I must say that this may be Depp's finest performance to date (I adore him in `Benny and Joon', but the depth he brings to Donnie is completely remarkable). There is a loneliness that Depp captures, perfectly depicting the descention his character is making into that dark hole that is his profession.
Like I said, color me surprised.
With outstanding supporting performances by Anne Heche and Michael Madsen, not to mention a memorable turn from Bruno Kirby (so underrated in his day as a supporting player), `Donnie Brasco' is an acting triumph. Not just that, it is marvelously scripted to completely engage the audience. The film has so much grit and realism. You can really see both sides of this world, and the film makes no attempts to glamorize of paint this `life' as something jovial. Mike Newell's direction is stellar, completely capturing the emotional as well as the visual impact of the subject.
I don't think enough words can be said in complete praise and admiration of this film. It is simply outstanding in all respects.
2 out of 2 people found this helpful.
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Depp=Awesome
Added 12/10/2009
Johnny Depp is one of the best actors of his generation. This is a must own blu-ray.
0 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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Donnie Brasco
Added 12/7/2009
I would say this is one of Al Pacino's best since the GODFATHER.
If you like Mafia flicks this one would be good one to go in your collection!!
I give this movie a 5 of 5 stars!!
0 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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Again --I LOVE JOHNNY
Added 12/1/2009
GREAT MOVIE, GREAT PRICE, GREAT SERVICE. !! Johnny Deppy and Al Pacino!!....need I say more. Best gangsta movie out there!!!!
0 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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Great movie, great bluray, not so great extended cut
Added 10/31/2009
Many reviews here seem to be only about the movie, not about the specific edition on bluray, so I thought I add a few comments on it. I've seen "Donnie Brasco" some twenty-odd times, so I was excited to get it on bluray. My impression? Well, the technical quality is really great: the picture is very much better than on the very good regular dvd's for sale (and the sound too, I guess, but I use headphones so I don't really know). The "extended cut", however, was a bit of a disappointment (note: at approx. 145 minutes, this version contains far more extra scenes than earlier versions). Only one or two instances of added material really added something to the story or movie as a whole, to my mind: most of it actually detracted from my experience of the movie - and not only because I'm so habituated to the regular version, I think. Still, even so it's a great gangster and psychological drama, with great acting: but if you already have the "Special edition" with the director's commentary etc (not included in the meagre extras on this bluray edition), you might want to wait for a new bluray release with the original cut. Trust me, sometimes less is really more.
Addition: I noticed now the same "extended cut" is apparently available on regular dvd too, so if you've seen that one you know what the problem is - the additions don't really add anything, but only disturb the careful pace and rhythm of the original version (and there is way too much lion...)
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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A complete triumph in every respect...
Added 1/14/2010
Color me surprised, but this movie was downright fantastic. I really expected something so much less than what I received. Instead, what I found was a deeply moving, completely engrossing, totally organic and convincing portrait of the grit that is the life of crime AND the life of those who try and prevent it. With comparisons to `The Godfather' and `GoodFellas', `Donnie Brasco' is the type of film that really had to deliver in order to make any sort of impact.
Personally, `Donnie Brasco' blows `GoodFellas' out of the water.
Based on the real life memoirs of Joe Pistone, `Donnie Brasco' centers around the world of Joe (or Donnie), an ambitious undercover cop who infiltrates the New York mob scene when he gets placed under the wing of Benjamin `Lefty' Ruggiero, a `made man' who takes a liking (almost paternal) to Donnie. As Donnie gets deeper and deeper into this world of which he is trying to expose, he finds his personal life slipping away from him. Soon, his family is torn in two as his wife begins to resent him for his involvement and before he knows it, he has become the very thing he has sworn to destroy.
I have made it pretty clear that I personally feel Al Pacino has wasted his talent pretty much as soon as the 70's ended. He is one of those actors who was SO good and then suddenly became nothing more than a cliché. He is nearly irrelevant today. That said, his performance in `Donnie Brasco' is a work of genius. I just cannot believe that this is AL PACINO. He really reaches back to his glory days and delivers an outstanding portrayal of a man intent of surviving yet never so much that he loses touch of what makes him human. Watching Lefty interact with the ruthless people around him brings an odd fascination. Lefty seems almost like an outcast. He is strong and certainly authentic, but he feels almost too warm at times, which adds to his character's remarkable development (such a superbly crafted sympathetic character that never grates on clichéd manipulative sentiments).
I've also made it pretty clear that I consider Johnny Depp an overrated actor. So many consider him the `it' guy today. It is very cool to like Johnny Depp, but personally he hasn't delivered a strong performance for me in many years. I was hesitant to watch this film because I am not a fan of either Pacino or Depp, but I must say that this may be Depp's finest performance to date (I adore him in `Benny and Joon', but the depth he brings to Donnie is completely remarkable). There is a loneliness that Depp captures, perfectly depicting the descention his character is making into that dark hole that is his profession.
Like I said, color me surprised.
With outstanding supporting performances by Anne Heche and Michael Madsen, not to mention a memorable turn from Bruno Kirby (so underrated in his day as a supporting player), `Donnie Brasco' is an acting triumph. Not just that, it is marvelously scripted to completely engage the audience. The film has so much grit and realism. You can really see both sides of this world, and the film makes no attempts to glamorize of paint this `life' as something jovial. Mike Newell's direction is stellar, completely capturing the emotional as well as the visual impact of the subject.
I don't think enough words can be said in complete praise and admiration of this film. It is simply outstanding in all respects.
2 out of 2 people found this helpful.
|
Depp=Awesome
Added 12/10/2009
Johnny Depp is one of the best actors of his generation. This is a must own blu-ray.
0 out of 1 people found this helpful.
|
Donnie Brasco
Added 12/7/2009
I would say this is one of Al Pacino's best since the GODFATHER.
If you like Mafia flicks this one would be good one to go in your collection!!
I give this movie a 5 of 5 stars!!
0 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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