Movie Description Joe Pistone (Johnny Depp) is an FBI mole who integrates himself into the Mafia pecking order by posing as "jewel man" Donnie Brasco. He finds his loyalties divided when Lefty Ruggiero, a jaded hit man, takes him on as a protégé and places real trust in him. The two men form a friendship--and a criminal partnership--that jeopardizes Brasco's mission and obscures the boundaries between the law and the underworld. The film is based on the autobiography DONNIE BRASCO, MY UNDERCOVER LIFE IN THE MAFIA by former undercover agent Joseph D. Pistone. Directed by Mike Newell (FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL) and also starring Bruno Kirby (THE FRESHMAN, THIS IS SPINAL TAP), Michael Madsen (RESERVOIR DOGS) and Anne Heche (WAG THE DOG).
| Credits | | Producer: | Alan Greespan, Barry Levinson, Gail Mutrux, Louis Di Giaima, Patrick McCormick | | Cast: | Al Pacino, Anne Heche, Bruno Kirby, Johnny Depp, Michael Madsen, Zach Grenier |
| Details | | Edition: | Widescreen |
Notes Produced by Mandalay.
Released theatrically in the USA December 27, 1996.
Editorial Reviews "...Downbeat, dark-humored and disturbing....[The film] delivers the somber flipside to CASINO's snazzy high rollers..." -- 4 out of 4 stars USA Today - p.1D - Susan Wloszczyna
"...Crackling good....The best crime movie in a long while....It's full of life..." New York Times - p.C4 - Janet Maslin
"...A wonderfully dense, clever, and moving gangland thriller....[An] engrossing movie..." -- Rating: A- Entertainment Weekly - Owen Gleiberman (03/07/1997)
"...An ambitious film with an effective and modulated performance by Al Pacino..." Los Angeles Times - Kenneth Turan (02/28/1997)
"...For Johnny Depp, DONNIE BRASCO breaks new ground; he seems a little older here, a little wearier, and he makes the transition from stoolie to friend one subtle step at a time..." Chicago Sun-Times - Roger Ebert (02/28/1997)
4 stars out of 5 -- "[A] thoughtful character study of male loyalty..." Ultimate DVD - Simon Edwards (07/01/2007)
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