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Donnie Brasco
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Donnie Brasco (1997) More at IMDbPro »

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Donnie Brasco (1997) -- An FBI undercover agent infilitrates the mob and finds himself identifying more with the mafia life to the expense of his regular one.
Donnie Brasco (1997) -- An FBI undercover agent infilitrates the mob and finds himself identifying more with the mafia life to the expense of his regular one.

Overview

User Rating:
7.7/10   56,085 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 11% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Mike Newell
Writers (WGA):
Joseph D. Pistone (book) and
Richard Woodley (book) ...
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Contact:
View company contact information for Donnie Brasco on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
28 February 1997 (USA) more
Genre:
Crime | Drama | Thriller more
Tagline:
Donnie Brasco. Based On A True Story. more
Plot:
An FBI undercover agent infilitrates the mob and finds himself identifying more with the mafia life to the expense of his regular one. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
Nominated for Oscar. Another 2 wins & 8 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(37 articles)
Johnny Depp on Public Enemies
 (From CanMag. 2 July 2009, 12:22 PM, PDT)

Bruckheimer’s Lone Ranger May Have A Director
 (From Screen Rant. 2 May 2009, 9:15 AM, PDT)

User Comments:
The Biggest Mutt In The History Of The Mafia more

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Additional Details

Also Known As:
Donnie Brasco (Austria) (Germany) [de]
Brasco (Argentina) [es]
Donnie Brasco (Portugal) [pt]
Donnie Brasco (Italy) [it]
Donnie Brasco (Greece) [el]
Donnie Brasco (France) [fr]
Donnie Brasco (Spain) [es]
Donnie Brasco (Slovenia) [sl]
Donnie Brasco (Croatia) [hr]
Fake (Japan: English title) [en]
Köstebek (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Krycí jméno Donnie Brasco (Czech Republic) [cs]
Operaatio Donnie Brasco (Finland) [fi]
more
MPAA:
Rated R for some strong graphic violence, pervasive strong language and brief nudity and sexuality.
Runtime:
127 min | 147 min (extended cut)
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
SDDS | Dolby Digital

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
In Joseph Pistone's report, he lists Lefty, Lefty Guns, Lefty Two Guns, Half Cocked, and Horse Cock as false names for Benjamin Ruggiero (Pacino) more
Goofs:
Anachronisms: Many '90s models cars and trinkets visible. more
Quotes:
Lefty: I never hear from my boss until he dies, then my whole life gets turned upside down! more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Bottoms Up (2006) (V) more
Soundtrack:
Love Machine more

FAQ

What are the differences between the Theatrical Version and the Extended Cut?
more
17 out of 21 people found the following comment useful:-
The Biggest Mutt In The History Of The Mafia, 20 February 2007
8/10
Author: bkoganbing from Buffalo, New York

With only one real scene of violence and mayhem in the film, Donnie Brasco relies far more on character development in a story of two men and the planned betrayal of one by another in the line of duty.

Johnny Depp plays real life FBI undercover agent Joe Pistone who infiltrates the Bonano crime family through the good offices of Lefty Ruggiero, a small time Mafia button man played by Al Pacino. During the five years undercover, Pistone who used the alias of Donnie Brasco was responsible for about 200 federal indictments because of the work he did. It took a terrible strain on him and his family as the film so aptly demonstrates.

It must have been like old home week for Johnny Depp who made his acting bones playing a youthful undercover cop in the television series 21 Jump Street. But the difference between Officer Tom Hanson going undercover for a couple of weeks at some high school and agent Pistone living and working with the wise guys for five years afraid of being found out is the difference between Donald Duck and Donald Trump.

Depp's performance as Pistone/Brasco is conveyed as much by body language and closeups as with dialog. He'd like very much to return to his wife and three daughters and live a normal life, but the demands of the job make it impossible. According to Wikipedia's article on Pistone he was uniquely qualified for his undercover assignment having lived and grown up among wise guys in New Jersey. He was familiar with all the Mafia culture and could blend in easily. The strain shows on him in his scenes with wife Anne Heche, only someone with a real gift for acting could make those scenes so real.

Depp is matched by Al Pacino as the luckless Lefty Ruggiero. In the Mafia code he vouches for Depp and if Depp betrays trust in any way, Pacino's marked for death.

Lefty Ruggiero is a hired killer with as he boasts 27 contract kills to his credit. Yet he's also a family man with a lot of problems as is Depp. Even though the man is in fact evil, Pacino does make him a likable sort. It's why Depp is dreading the day he's out from undercover because it means certain death for a man who's grown to be his friend.

Except when the crew that Depp and Pacino are part of do ambush a rival group before in fact they do it to them, Donnie Brasco is a fairly non violent film for a gangster story. Donnie Brasco emphasizes character development and a good script as opposed to bloody mayhem.

I think you'll like the story about a man who turned a friend into the biggest mutt in the history of the Mafia.

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