Donnie Brasco (1997)
Average Rating: 7.8/10
Reviews Counted: 55
Fresh: 48 | Rotten: 7
A stark, nuanced portrait of life in organized crime, bolstered by strong performances from Al Pacino and Johnny Depp.
Average Rating: 7.2/10
Critic Reviews: 18
Fresh: 14 | Rotten: 4
A stark, nuanced portrait of life in organized crime, bolstered by strong performances from Al Pacino and Johnny Depp.
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Average Rating: 3.7/5
User Ratings: 176,682
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Movie Info
This drama about an undercover cop who learns the hidden dangers of working his way inside the mob was based on a true story. Joe Pistone (Johnny Depp) is an FBI agent who is given an assignment to infiltrate the Mafia; calling himself Donnie Brasco, he befriends Lefty Ruggiero (Al Pacino), a low-level mob hit man whose personal life is in tatters. Lefty's marriage is falling apart, his son is a junkie, and his health is failing, which only adds to his growing disillusionment about having spent
Feb 28, 1997 Wide
Jan 20, 1998
TriStar
Watch It Now
Cast
-
Johnny Depp
Donnie Brasco/Joe Pisto... -
Al Pacino
Lefty Ruggiero -
Michael Madsen
Sonny Black -
Bruno Kirby
Nicky -
James Russo
Paulie -
Anne Heche
Maggie Pistone -
Gerry Becker
Dean Blandford -
Paul Giamatti
FBI Worker -
Zach Grenier
Dr. Berger -
Zeljko Ivanek
Tim Curley -
Robert Miano
Sonny Red -
Brian Tarantina
Bruno -
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All Critics (57) | Top Critics (19) | Fresh (51) | Rotten (7) | DVD (24)
Although perhaps familiar in its outer trappings, Pacino's fine work is the key to the film succeeding to the extent that it does.
A tense, sharp and compelling character study, Newell's film is a worthy addition to the Mob-movie canon.
Top CriticUnfortunately, the story isn't inventive and Newell's methodical approach to it verges on monotony.
A first-class Mafia thriller that is also, in its way, a love story.
In the tired figure of Lefty, manifest in the craggy icon of Pacino, our sympathies are definitely enlisted, and the theme rings a poignant note.
Pacino and Depp are a match made in acting heaven, riffing off each other with astonishing subtlety and wit.
A gritty and humorous crime drama about an undercover cop infiltrating the Mafia.
Depp's tight, guarded performance is almost painful to watch, and Newell seems to have reined in the flamboyant Pacino, whose portrait of the mobster as a grumpy old man may be his best work in years.
It's tempting to think Pacino stopped trying sometime in the mid-1980s. But watch Lefty's elegiac final scene and you might conclude that it's not Al's ability that's dimmed, rather it's the imagination of casting directors that's grown stale.
[Newell and Attanasio] pay as much attention to emotional details as to the clockwork details of mob life.
Belongs in the first tier of mobster/wise guy movies, though the extended version doesn't add (or detract) much.
Just misses ranking in the upper echelon of mob movies.
A classy piece of work that may disappoint those looking for something more conventional.
A blue collar gangster movie that succeeds on all attempted levels, particularly acting.
Donnie Brasco is a fine movie but it might just be best remembered as Johnny Depp's coming-out party. A star -- check that, an actor -- is born.
Shows that solid acting and writing can salvage even material that has been covered by much better filmmakers.
Donnie Brasco manages to sidestep the obvious and dwell on the intriguing.
In almost every respect, Donnie Brasco is an original, the unexpected rebirth of an old and oft-told tale.
Donnie Brasco is 120 minutes of riveting filmmaking.
It's gritty, real and totally engrossing.
Audience Reviews for Donnie Brasco
Super Reviewer
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- Lefty Ruggiero: I never said you were a rat. You's my best friend!
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- Lefty Ruggiero: If you're a rat, then I'm the biggest f***ing mutt in the history of the maffia.
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- Donnie Brasco/Joe Pistone: Forget about it.
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An undercover within the mob. It's been done countless and millions of times. However, when done as exquisitely as "Donnie Brasco" does, it's like watching an original plotline again. The obvious story outcomes that we're expecting from a plotline in this type of genre, "Donnie Brasco" hurdles over somewhat the same plot-points with a higher emphasis on the psyche and the hidden. Altogether, it makes for an incredibly rich and engaging narrative. One of the most entertaining mafia flicks I've seen in an extremely long time, mainly due to the mind-blowingly outstanding performances -- by the likes of Johnny Depp and the infamous Al Pacino, -- the entertaining dips and dives of the narrative, and the exquisitely sharp writing that throws a lot of comedic punches to the gut, all the while having a sober basis on reality. "Donnie Brasco", with these elements done in grade-A fashion, manages to place itself as one of the most well-paced gangster movies of all time. Not once does the movie begin to outstay its welcome.
There's not much more to talk about without giving out the vital details of the narrative. Everything within this film works. This is a pitch-perfect, immaculate B-movie mafia flick, coupled with real rich tension, characters the audience deeply sympathizes with, and a narrative that's buttery-smooth. "Donnie Brasco" is a much watch.