Donnie Brasco

REVIEW
Director Newell concisely captures the nuance and flavor of 1970s gangland New York in this crisp, extremely well-acted gangster drama based on the real-life experiences of undercover FBI agent Joe Pistone. Depp is Donnie Brasco (alias Pistone), who infiltrates the mob. Befriending mid-level wiseguy Lefty Ruggiero (Pacino), Donnie secures a place for himself with Lefty as his mentor, all the while dispatching vital information. The strength of the film is the human face placed on all its characters. The best of these is Pacino's Lefty, an anonymous foot soldier who sees in Donnie a chance to pass along his limited worldly wisdom. Michael Corleone he's not, and Pacino is superb in etching the fragile shadings of unfulfilled ambition. Depp is equally adept in relaying the inner conflict of a man slowly losing his emotional grip to a brutal underworld. Absorbing and vigorous, Donnie Brasco brings a fresh attitude to an often overplayed genre.