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.
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06/20/09
Donnie Brasco (1997)
87
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:52
Fresh:45
Rotten:7
Average Rating:7.8/10
Consensus: A stark, nuanced portrait of life in organized crime, bolstered by strong performances from Al Pacino and Johnny Depp.
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Reviews for Donnie Brasco
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.
06/20/09
Although perhaps familiar in its outer trappings, Pacino's fine work is the key to the film succeeding to the extent that it does.
11/20/08
Top Critic[Newell and Attanasio] pay as much attention to emotional details as to the clockwork details of mob life.
07/30/07
Just misses ranking in the upper echelon of mob movies.
05/09/07
A tense, sharp and compelling character study, Newell's film is a worthy addition to the Mob-movie canon.
01/26/06
A classy piece of work that may disappoint those looking for something more conventional.
09/17/05
A blue collar gangster movie that succeeds on all attempted levels, particularly acting.
04/09/05
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.
01/08/05
Shows that solid acting and writing can salvage even material that has been covered by much better filmmakers.
08/26/03
Donnie Brasco manages to sidestep the obvious and dwell on the intriguing.
05/14/03
In almost every respect, Donnie Brasco is an original, the unexpected rebirth of an old and oft-told tale.
10/15/02
Donnie Brasco is 120 minutes of riveting filmmaking.
09/10/02
Unfortunately, the story isn't inventive and Newell's methodical approach to it verges on monotony.
08/14/02
Top CriticIt's gritty, real and totally engrossing.
08/14/02
A first-class Mafia thriller that is also, in its way, a love story.
06/18/02
Top CriticIt's hard to develop any sympathy for the film's nasty manipulative humans, despite the best efforts of all involved in this newest slant on the mean-streets crowd.
06/05/02
The humor and tragedy that Pacino and Depp put on the screen will stay with you.
04/17/02
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.
04/12/02
Top CriticOne of the most moving and insightful gangster films ever made.
03/05/02
Latest News for Donnie Brasco
August 16, 2006:
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May 09, 2005:
Trailer Bulletin: "Harry Potter Part 4" Teaser
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