Directed by Mike Newell ("Four Weddings and a Funeral"), "Donnie Brasco" -- playing tonight in Spaulding -- is not just another gangster film that features guns, drugs, women and power. Based on a true story, the film deals with a bitter, luckless hitman, Lefty Ruggiero (Al Pacino) that has never been promoted to a more powerful position, and a young FBI agent, Joseph Pistone (Johnny Depp), alias Donnie Brasco, who is working undercover in order to infiltrate the mob.
Few movies have closely examined the emotional and moral core of being a gangster, especially a low-level one: loyalty and trust are the two most important qualities in the world of the organized crime. But fortunately, Donnie Brasco takes a slant on what happens when loyalty falls into question.
This movie depicts gangster life without the glitz and glamour -- this movie brings back memories of Scorsese's "Mean Streets" and Joanau's "State of Grace," which also centered around the life of low-level gangsters.
The conflict of this story is based on Pistone's moral dilemmas with the position as an undercover agent in the world of the mob. Pistone plays essentially an actor, an agent, a young gangster, husband and father at the same time.
Although this operation is one of the most successful in FBI history, it almost gets Pistone killed and destroyed the close friendship he developed with the man he was trying to nail, Lefty himself.
In order to become part of the mob, Pistone plays a diamond mover and thief; through this cover he is discovered by Lefty. The luckless gangster sees his last chance to make an impact in the mob world by mentoring this shrewd, aggressive recruit. Unfortunately, he never fully realizes that he has taken a traitor under his hopeful wing.
Lefty makes a critical but human mistake: he trusts Donnie. Therefore, Lefty vouches for Donnie and the undercover agent finally gets his in. Pistone finds himself becoming a part of the Sonny Black (played by Michael Madsen) faction in Brooklyn. Lefty educates Pistone on the ways of mob life -- "When they send for you, you go in alive, you come out dead, and it's your best friend that does it."
Unfortunately, working undercover becomes too much for Donnie. First, he is unable to distance himself emotionally from Lefty. As he is trusted more, Donnie is forced to climb up the mob chain of command, while realizing all too well that he is crossing the fine line from agent to gangster. Worst of all, he knows that Lefty has signed his own death certificate by these unexpected turn of events.
While all of this is happening, Donnie desperately attempts to keep a balance with his real-life family -- to somehow return home and try to be the caring husband to a wife he cannot be honest to and the father to kids he never sees.
Anne Heche's portrayal of a strong, loving wife who cannot handle this situation is adequate. Her actions like hiding Pistone's bag which is filled with $300,000 in cash is great in depicting the raise in marital strife.
Pistone's marriage falls apart and the critical point occurs when he slaps her after she says "You have become one of them!" Later on, he admits, "All my life I've tried to be the good guy, the guy in the white f***ing hat. And for what? For nothing. I'm not becoming like them; I am them."
The mob faction experiences great success for a while and eventually decide to move to Florida's safer extortion and racketeering ploys since Brooklyn is not the ideal place to conduct business (once kicked out of Manhattan, mob life gets increasingly difficult apparently).
The character development of Donnie Brasco/Joseph Pistone and Lefty Ruggiero is excellent. Both have lives split in two: Donnie as an undercover agent and Lefty as a brutal killer who also likes having Donnie looking up to him and caring for him.
The growth (or decline) of each character realistically depicts what occurs in a real life of someone involved with high drama: when things start getting tough, other situations tend to get tough as well.
One of the most important aspects of a gangster movie, or any movie for that matter, is believability; Donnie Brasco rings true from beginning to end. Plot development is built naturally and cracks in the story are not apparent throughout the line of the movie.
The movie's moody stylishness is impeccably done as well. The solid, drab colors of the buildings and costumes (Depp is often in black and Pacino seems to love his earthy dress as well) while in New York City sharply contrasts the uplifting, more sunny vibe during their time in Florida. Even in the jail there is a rather weird blue color.
Also, the characters' dress is well chosen to reflect the style of each personality. For example, it is clear that not only is Lefty luckless, but he has no sense of style and his costumes reflect that.
Unfortunately, Sonny Black's group comes back to the depressing city which bring closer the theme that it is impossible to escape from the life that you have sold your soul to. Pistone escaped, but unfortunately, like any rat, he cannot escape from his own skin and is forced to adopt a completely different life anyway.
This film does not break any new ground; it is merely another flick built around the dangerous lives of mobsters. However, do not slight this presentation because "Donnie Brasco" does indeed offer a very interesting perspective on gangster life. It is worth seeing if only for Depp's brilliant relaying of the many meanings and pronunciations of "fuggedaboutit," the gangster catch-all phrase. As he explains it to his police co-workers, it is clear that he not only knows the ins and outs of the mob, but he has them ingrained within him.
