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Johnny Depp, Al Pacino, Michael Madsen, Bruno Kirby, James Russo ... see more see more... , Anne Heche , Gerry Becker , Paul Giamatti , Zach Grenier , Zeljko Ivanek , Robert Miano , Brian Tarantina , Gretchen Mol

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 in... read more read more...filtrate 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 30 years with the Mafia (and killing 26 people) with little to show for it. But in Donnie, Lefty sees someone who can succeed where he failed; he takes the young man under his wing, and under Lefty's tutelage Donnie quickly rises through the ranks of organized crime; however, the longer he plays the role of the gangster, the more Joe Pistone finds himself becoming Donnie Brasco in his increasingly rare off hours; it drives a wedge between himself and his wife (Anne Heche) and children, and Joe realizes that a break in character among the hoodlums he's come to know could mean a death sentence for himself and his family. Just as importantly, Joe has come to regard Lefty as a close and trusted friend, and Joe realizes that when the day comes where he has to turn in his Mob associates, he'll be ending Lefty's life as surely as if he put a slug in his head himself. The supporting cast includes Michael Madsen as Sonny, Lefty's boss, and Bruno Kirby as Nicky, one of Sonny's henchmen. The real-life Joe Pistone today lives under an assumed name with a 500,000-dollar contract on his life still in effect. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Flixster Users

85% liked it

176,682 ratings

Critics

87% liked it

55 critics

R, 1 hr. 55 min.

Directed by: Mike Newell

Release Date: February 28, 1997

Keywords: mafia, mob, gangster, cop, underrated

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DVD Release Date: January 20, 1998

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Stats: 7,365 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (7,365)

  • 76Majikat
    March 19, 2012
    76Majikat
    A good film which I re-watched recently. Undercover cop who gets close to Gangsters
  • moonrivers
    June 2, 2011
    moonrivers
    A mob buddy movie ... only one of our buds is a rat. Pacino delivers another stellar, complex and surprising performance as a blue collar mobster. Depp too rises to the standard set as the man brought in. Madsen, Kirby, and Heche (!) are more than competent in supporting role... read mores. Much better than the average "based on a true story" rot by far.
  • ythelastman89
    April 25, 2011
    ythelastman89
    I know a lot of people flat out hate Donnie Brasco and call it the poor man's Goodfellas or Scorsese light, but I love it and think those accusations are completely different from the truth. Donnie Brasco does everything it can to take the glamor away from the gangster lifestyle.... read more It shows the terrible lives and choices of the people involved. A lot of this is done through the simple character moments and sequences. However, the main way this is achieved is through the slam dunk performances given by Johnny Depp and Al Pacino. They manage to be sympathetic characters in their own ways, but also show the true ugly side of being a "wiseguy". Both of these characters are very unhappy people who consciously make decisions that ruin their lives. While Donnie manages to escape his death trap in the end, we also see that some people never get out of the game. While this is not as polished and beautiful looking as say Goodfellas, it has no need to be. It's extremely effective the way it is.
  • lewiskendell
    March 2, 2011
    lewiskendell
    "I'm not becoming like them, I am them."

    Donnie Brasco is a true crime story of a federal agent who infiltrated the Bonanno crime family over a period of years, ultimately resulting in a lot of successful prosecutions.

    I'm not usually the biggest fan of these kinds of movies, ... read morebut the cast makes Donnie Brasco pretty interesting, even for those who might not be into it, normally. Johnny Depp, Al Pacino, Michael Madsen, and other less-known (but still great) actors fill Donnie Brasco with performances that keep it as realistic as the subject matter deserves.

    It's nice to see Depp take on roles that are grounded in reality, because they prove that he's pretty good at just plain old acting. No eccentric characters required. And as good Al Pacino movies have become pretty rare these days, it's nice to be reminded that the guy is still brilliant at what he does when he gets good material to work with.
  • YLOWBSTARDreturns
    January 13, 2011
    YLOWBSTARDreturns
    A classic modern crime epic. On par with the genre's best.
  • TheDudeLebowski65
    November 19, 2010
    TheDudeLebowski65
    Donnie Brasco is a very different gangster film The film shows the audience the going on's behind the scenes in the criminal underworld. A first rate cast gives this superior gangster flick a lot of class. Al Pacino and Johnny Depp deliver strong performances. Donnie Brasco is ... read morean intense drama film about an FBI informant that infiltrated the mob in the 1970's. Johnny Depp plays Donnie Brasco, the informant in one of the many crime families of New York City. This is an electrifying film and I have seen my fair share of mob films, and Donnie Brasco is an entirely different film because it shows an informant infiltrating the mob, a theme not really talked about in a gangster film. Sure at times, we see gangsters dealing with rats,.informants, but never have we seen a film with the perspective of the informant, avery interesting premise for a film. Sure may theres The Departed, but it's very different, because Donnie Brasco is based on a real story, and the people in the film are real or are based on real characters. Johnny Depp is terrific as Donnie Brasco, and he gives yet another top notch performance. Depp was definitely well chosen for the role, and in a film, like this, it just shows the amount of talent that he has as an actor and he's able to pull off awesome roles.A very different look at the criminal underworld, Donnie Brasco is a different type of mob film. It takes you behind the scenes of the glamoure and shows you exactly how it is. A very intense and well directed and acted film.
  • gokhale1
    October 12, 2010
    gokhale1
    Mike Newell's "Donnie Brasco" is what I call a Gangster drama with a heart!

    This movie is not so much about gangster violence as it is about personal conflicts and inner frustrations of the two lead characters of the story.

    Based on a true story, "Donnie Brasco" is about th... read moree real life "Operation Donnie Brasco" carried out by the FBI, in which Agent Joseph Pistone went undercover as a Jewel thief expert for infiltrating the Bonanno Crime Family in New York during the late 70s.

    Johnny Depp stars as Joseph Pistone who goes undercover as Donnie Brasco and befriends Benjamin "Lefty" Ruggiero (Al Pacino). Lefty is an aging, low-level mob hitman who is not doing very good on the personal front. He does not seem to be financially well off and has a son who's a drug addict. And as is clear from the film's proceedings, he is an underdog in the family, inspite of having as many as 26 hits in his long mafia history. He seems to have remained where he is, and keeps getting stepped over. In his conversations with Donnie he keeps venting out these grievances and Donnie acts as the good listener.

    Donnie, on the other hand, has problems of his own, trying to strike a balance between his family life and his demanding job. Anne Heche plays the Mrs. Pistone who is having a difficult time taking care of their three little daughters without their father around. What adds to her woes is the fact that her husband disappears for days together and does not divulge the details of his job to her.

    From time to time, Donnie keeps providing his FBI fellow-men all the information he can about Lefty and the rest of the crew including Sonny Black (Michael Madsen). The story develops so forth.


    As a gangster film, "Donnie Brasco" does not succeed as well as some other films out there which excel in quality. However, as a character drama centering around the two lead characters, Lefty and Pistone, it certainly delivers.

    Johnny Depp delivers a knock-out performance as Joseph Pistone. He is simply great!
    He breathes so much life into the character that you can actually see his gradual transformation into a mobster when he begins to walk and talk like them, as his wife rightly puts in one key scene "you are becoming like them"!
    If only he did more meaningful roles like these than all those comic book fantasy characters he plays in those countless Tim Burton films ("Ed Wood" is an exception, of course!)

    As for Al Pacino, it is very heartbreaking to see him as a failed gangster for once. This is the man who you've seen in numerous films as the angry, dominating, ruthless gangster who always has things his way. But "Donnie Brasco" is quite an exception. Here, he is the loser, who knows he is one and is constantly talking about being stepped over and sidelined all the time by others younger than him. He is tired of getting stuck at the same position inspite of a 30 year old life in the mafia and a commendable number of 'hits' under his belt.

    Quite a few notable scenes in which Pacino is simply fabulous..one that comes to mind is the scene in which Sonny Black gets promoted or "upped" as they call it. Pacino's reaction is so natural and convincing, it instantly makes you empathize with him. Plenty of such moments and episodes in this film prove that Pacino delivers one of his finest acting performances in this film.

    As for the supporting cast: Quite nice, all of them. Michael Madsen is great, but we are so used to seeing him in gangster roles that it doesn't quite come off as anything different.
    Anne Heche does a pretty decent job as the frustrated wife of the busy FBI agent.

    Patrick Doyle's original score is superb and melancholic and suits the mood of the film.

    Paul Attanasio's screenplay based on Pistone's book "Donnie Brasco: My Undercover Life in the Mafia" is pretty good, but one can't help but think that it certainly leaves a little to be desired.

    Mike Newell directs well and pulls off a genre he had never attempted, pretty successfully.


    "Donnie Brasco" is a fine film which succeeds more as a character drama than as a gangster flick. Absolutely "fuh-get about it"! ;)
  • yona71
    June 25, 2010
    yona71
    Quite a good gangster film based on a true story. It follows FBI agent Joe D. Pistone(Johnny Depp) as he infiltrates the mafia in 1978 New York City. Pistone goes undercover using the name Donnie Brasco, and befriends a "made" mafioso named Benjamin "Lefty" Ruggiero(Al Pacino) wh... read moreo collects money for the "bosses". Due to the friendship which develops between Lefty and Pistone who he first becomes involved with as they "collect" money, Pistone develops concern for his mafia friends, particularly Lefty who he believes will take the fall if he walks away. The new boss Sonny Black well portrayed by Michael Madsen is fed up with Lefty, and turns to Brasco to clean up the mess.
    Depp's performance is yet another exceptional piece of character work by one of our finest actors. Pacino turns in a respectful performance as well as the vulnerable mafioso who is a bit out of his element that he believes to be very much his own.
  • BEACHBUNNI
    May 26, 2010
    BEACHBUNNI
    The true soul of the New York mob is portrayed in Donnie Brasco, a first-class Mafia thriller that is also in its way a love story
  • allan913
    December 15, 2009
    allan913
    A stylish, intriguing, honest and remarkable gangster picture. A classic. A riveting crime drama. It's brilliant, stunning and sizzeling. Knockout performances. Al Pacino and Johnny Depp are teriffic. Pacino proves once again why he's one of the greatest that ever lived. Depp giv... read morees one of the best performances of his career. The two dynamite stars show outstanding chemistry together. Micheal Madsen is brilliant. Director, Mike Newell has crafted a well established and brilliant film. It's the most insightful, hard-hitting, hard-edged and honest gangster movie since Goodfellas.

View All Donnie Brasco Reviews

Critic Reviews

Todd McCarthy
November 20, 2008
Todd McCarthy, Variety

Although perhaps familiar in its outer trappings, Pacino's fine work is the key to the film succeeding to the extent that it does. Full Review

Rita Kempley
August 14, 2002
Rita Kempley, Washington Post

Unfortunately, the story isn't inventive and Newell's methodical approach to it verges on monotony. Full Review

Mick LaSalle
June 18, 2002
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

A first-class Mafia thriller that is also, in its way, a love story. Full Review

Rick Groen
April 12, 2002
Rick Groen, Globe and Mail

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. Full Review

Peter Travers
May 11, 2001
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

Pacino and Depp are a match made in acting heaven, riffing off each other with astonishing subtlety and wit.

Kenneth Turan
February 14, 2001
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times

Though the outline of what the film has tried to do is visible, so little feels at stake emotionally that anyone intending to care about these characters would be well advised, for want of a better ph... Full Review

Jeff Millar
January 1, 2000
Jeff Millar, Houston Chronicle

Depp is as good as I've seen him, and Pacino is simply astonishing.

Roger Ebert
January 1, 2000
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

The movie has many human qualities and contains what will be remembered as one of Pacino's finest scenes. Full Review

Charles Taylor
January 1, 2000
Charles Taylor, Salon.com

A consistently absorbing and intelligent adult entertainment. Full Review

Susan Stark
January 1, 2000
Susan Stark, Detroit News

You get something far richer, if more unsettling, here than conventional crime drama's romanticism and easy analogies. Full Review

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