Review of "DONNIE BRASCO"

DONNIE BRASCO

DONNIE BRASCO is the assumed name of an FBI agent infiltrating the Mafia. LEFTY is a lower level official in the mob, who, having no idea of Donnie's true purposes, develops a liking to Donnie, and introduces him to the intricacies of life in organized crime.  Donnie does so well as a gangster, he surpasses Lefty, much to his mentor's chagrin. In fact, Donnie feels such comfort being with the mob, he neglects his own family to the point where his wife threatens to divorce him. Though Lefty is an unrepentant murderer, he's also a bitter and depressed wretch, and Donnie feels a sense of obligation towards him even greater than his obligation to his wife. The FBI can't contact Donnie, and the question arises--will he leave his family and job and become an actual mobster?

One particularly poignant moment comes when Lefty sees a crime boss introduce Donnie as 'our friend,' code that means Donnie has risen above Lefty in the organization's ranks.

Al Pucino, one of my favorite actors, plays Lefty with his usual offhanded style.. Johnny Depp plays Donnie.  It's nice to see Depp in a straight role instead of the nutcase portrayals like Jack Sparrow, Willy Wonka, and the Mad Hatter.

Though there are a lot of characters, it's easy to follow the main ones, and the plot unfolds in a straightforward manner. It's not at all clear why Lefty befriends Donnie, but the rest of the story is quite realistic. Certainly, why Donnie puts up with Lefty's bossiness is obvious when you see that Donnie works for the FBI.

Apparently, all the major characters in this film are based on actual historical figures, in particular, Donnie himself.

Like Boardwalk Empire, this is a story about the FBI and the mob. You might not want to watch one right after the other since that does end up a little confusing.

This is an enjoyable movie and a good workout movie.  I give it +++++ - parts of it will get you pulse up to a sprint. If you see it, let me know what you think.