CLASSIC MOVIE CORNER: 'Donnie Brasco' (1997)

Al Pacino and Johnny Depp
in 'Donnie Brasco'“Donnie Brasco” (1997)

MPAA Rating: R
Directed by: Mike Newell
Starring: Al Pacino, Johnny Depp, Michael Madsen, Anne Heche, Bruno Kirby

The Gist: The true-life tale of an undercover cop on the edge.

The Story: Joe Pistone aka Donnie Brasco (Depp) is an undercover FBI agent. Joe is a hard-working family man, but Donnie is a slick criminal, and Pistone finds himself torn between the two identities. As Donnie, he infiltrates the Bonnano crime family. Lefty (Pacino) is a mid-level assassin who recruits Donnie into the family circle. Lefty and Donnie become close friends, but Donnie’s ultimate goal is to expose the Bonnano criminal operation and send them all to jail. Along the way, Lefty becomes a fatherly mentor to Donnie. Donnie struggles with saving his marriage and ultimately having to betray his best friend.

The Review: Before “Donnie Brasco,” Johnny Depp was merely a promising young actor. This performance showed he could hold his own with a legend like Pacino. It helped that the material was so strong. Screenwriter Paul Attanasio’s script — based on the real-life Pistone’s memoir — is expertly constructed. The plot keeps you in perpetual suspense, with scenes constantly veering off in surprising directions. British-born director Newell was a perfect (if unlikely) choice for this material. Newell was previously better known for family films and romantic comedies. “Donnie Brasco” finds room for humor and sensitivity amid the morbid aspects of mob life. If nothing else, this film is worth seeing for the scene in which Depp explains at least five different uses of the term, “Fuhgeddaboutit!”

The Classic Quote: Lefty: “Donnie, I got sent for. In our thing, you get sent for, you go in alive, you come out dead, and it’s your best friend that does it.”

(Jorge Sosa is a staff writer for the Hutchinson Leader. He can be reached at sosa@hutchinsonleader.com)