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List Price: $14.94 | | Label: Sony Pictures
Salesrank: 4137
Released: November 7, 2000 |
| Our Price: $5.68 |
| Used Price: $1.98 |
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MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
AN FBI AGENT BEFRIENDS A LOWLY HITMAN TO GAIN ENTRY TO THE MOB. IN THE MID 1970'S, FBI AGENT JOE PISTONE INFILTRATED THE VIOLENTMAFIA UNDERWORLD, GETTING CLOSER TO ITS INNER CIRCLE THAN ANY U.S. LAW OFFICER EVER HAD. THIS SUSPENSEFUL TALE OF FRIENDSHIP, HONOR AND BETRAYAL IS BASED ON A TRUE STORY.
Description of Donnie Brasco (Special Edition):
Based on a memoir by former undercover cop Joe Pistone (whose daring and unprecedented infiltration of the New York Mob scene earned him a place in the federal witness protection program), Donnie Brasco is like a de- romanticized, de-mythologized version of The Godfather. It offers an uncommonly detailed, privileged glimpse inside the world of organized crime from the perspective of the little guys at the bottom of Mafia hierarchy rather than from the kingpins at the top. Donnie Brasco is not only one of the great modern-day gangster movies to put in the company of The Godfather films andGoodFellas, but it is also one of the great undercover police movies--arguably surpassing Serpico and Prince of the City in richness of character, detail, and moral complexity. Donnie (Johnny Depp, a splendid actor) is practically adopted by Lefty Ruggiero (Al Pacino), a gregarious, low-level "made" man who grows to love his young protégé like a son. (Pacino really sinks into this guy's skin and polyester slacks, and creates his freshest, most fully realized character since his 1970s heyday.) As Donnie acclimates himself to Lefty's world, he distances himself from his wife (a terrific Anne Heche) and family for their own protection. Almost imperceptibly his sense of identity slips away from him. Questioning his own confused loyalties, unable to trust anybody else because he himself is an imposter, Donnie loses his way in a murky and treacherous no-man's land. The film is directed by Mike Newell, who also headed up Four Weddings and a Funeral and the gritty, true crime melodrama Dance with a Stranger. --Jim Emerson
Stills from Donnie Brasco (click for larger image)
Beyond Donnie Brasco on Amazon.com
DVDs starring Al Pacino |
More Gangster Movies |
The Memoir |
Donnie Brasco (Special Edition) Reviews:
Depp=Awesome 
2009-12-10 - Johnny Depp is one of the best actors of his generation. This is a must own blu-ray.
Donnie Brasco
2009-12-07 - I would say this is one of Al Pacino's best since the GODFATHER.
If you like Mafia flicks this one would be good one to go in your collection!!
I give this movie a 5 of 5 stars!!
Again --I LOVE JOHNNY
2009-12-01 - GREAT MOVIE, GREAT PRICE, GREAT SERVICE. !! Johnny Deppy and Al Pacino!!....need I say more. Best gangsta movie out there!!!!
Great movie, great bluray, not so great extended cut 
2009-10-31 - Many reviews here seem to be only about the movie, not about the specific edition on bluray, so I thought I add a few comments on it. I've seen "Donnie Brasco" some twenty-odd times, so I was excited to get it on bluray. My impression? Well, the technical quality is really great: the picture is very much better than on the very good regular dvd's for sale (and the sound too, I guess, but I use headphones so I don't really know). The "extended cut", however, was a bit of a disappointment (note: at approx. 145 minutes, this version contains far more extra scenes than earlier versions). Only one or two instances of added material really added something to the story or movie as a whole, to my mind: most of it actually detracted from my experience of the movie - and not only because I'm so habituated to the regular version, I think. Still, even so it's a great gangster and psychological drama, with great acting: but if you already have the "Special edition" with the director's commentary etc (not included in the meagre extras on this bluray edition), you might want to wait for a new bluray release with the original cut. Trust me, sometimes less is really more.
Addition: I noticed now the same "extended cut" is apparently available on regular dvd too, so if you've seen that one you know what the problem is - the additions don't really add anything, but only disturb the careful pace and rhythm of the original version (and there is way too much lion...)
WARNING: "Extended Cut" is missing the Director's Commentary
2009-08-28 - So be sure to pick this release ("Special Edition") over the later "Extended Cut" which deleted the very excellent commentary from director Mike Newell.
The Godfather and Goodfellas don't hold the trademark on mob movies, so if you like this genre, you owe it to yourself to give Donnie Brasco a try.
Scored by Patrick Doyle. The music is in fact one of the many strong points of this film. Anne Heche (who I don't normally love) is good, too.
