Donnie Brasco Movie Review

Donnie Brasco (1997)

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Written by: Joseph D. Pistone and Richard Woodley (book), Paul Attanasio (screenplay)
Directed by: Mike Newell
Starring: Al Pacino, Johnny Depp, Michael Madsen, Bruno Kirby, Anne Heche, Zeljko Ivanek, Gretchen Mol
Rated: R
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Plot
An FBI undercover agent infiltrates the mob and finds himself identifying more with the mafia life, at the expense of his regular one.

Verdict
Undercover movies are inherently tense, but what this adds is the emotional turmoil. Donnie feels attached to the mob. He doesn't want to harm the people about which he cares and that have cared for him. He's caught between ethics and feelings. Any decision he makes is going to be wrong between the mob and the police. Donnie is trying to thread that needle between the two. The cost of this mission is immense, and no one other than Donnie can begin to understand that.
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Review
I've seen this before, and I really enjoyed it. This is a gangster movie that focuses on emotion instead of the typical violence. Donnie Brasco (Johnny Depp) is an undercover agent trying to infiltrate the mob. He targets hit man Lefty (Al Pacino). Donnie is able to prove himself an astute jeweler when he can spot a fake diamond. This is a metaphor for the movie's plot. Lefty can't spot that Donnie is a fake.

Al Pacino, Johnny Depp play Lefty Ruggiero, Donnie Brasco

Lefty vouches for Donnie, and just like that he's in. Donnie keeps getting deeper. He's caught in the middle between this mob that feels like family and his job that is to gather evidence on the mob to arrest them. He has the stress of trying to maintain his cover while his superiors in the police push him to gather more evidence. He's also losing his family as it takes everything he has to maintain the ruse. The more he can gain the mob's confidence, the more people he can indict, but his life and family pay the price.

With many things, the more you play a role, the more you become that role. Donnie becomes the mob life. He cares about Lefty, but even still there's the danger that he could say the wrong thing and reveal his life. Any mistake could mean death.

Al Pacino, Johnny Depp play Lefty Ruggiero, Donnie Brasco

I also like that Al Pacino doesn't play the main character or the boss. He's a cog in the machine, and despite being a bad guy we empathize with him in part because Donnie does. Donnie's undercover operation will have repercussions for Lefty. They have a father and son bond. They both feel that. So many undercover movies focus on the exciting operation. Some focus on the difficulty of living that life, but this movie looks at the price everyone will pay. This accentuates the cost and payoff with Donnie getting a medal from the police force for his work. That doesn't even begin to cover what he's endured, and that's exactly the point the movie wants to make. That medal can't cover what Donnie has done to his mob family and his real family. He's hurt people he truly cares about for a medal and ribbon.