Donnie Brasco (1997)

87% of critics liked it
(55 reviews)
85% of users liked it
(176,682 ratings)

This drama about an undercover cop who learns the hidden dangers of working his way inside the mob was based on a true story. Joe Pistone (Johnny Depp) is an FBI agent who is given an assignment to infiltrate the Mafia; calling himself Donnie Brasco, he befriends Lefty Ruggiero (Al Pacino), a… More This drama about an undercover cop who learns the hidden dangers of working his way inside the mob was based on a true story. Joe Pistone (Johnny Depp) is an FBI agent who is given an assignment to infiltrate the Mafia; calling himself Donnie Brasco, he befriends Lefty Ruggiero (Al Pacino), a low-level mob hit man whose personal life is in tatters. Lefty's marriage is falling apart, his son is a junkie, and his health is failing, which only adds to his growing disillusionment about having spent 30 years with the Mafia (and killing 26 people) with little to show for it. But in Donnie, Lefty sees someone who can succeed where he failed; he takes the young man under his wing, and under Lefty's tutelage Donnie quickly rises through the ranks of organized crime; however, the longer he plays the role of the gangster, the more Joe Pistone finds himself becoming Donnie Brasco in his increasingly rare off hours; it drives a wedge between himself and his wife (Anne Heche) and children, and Joe realizes that a break in character among the hoodlums he's come to know could mean a death sentence for himself and his family. Just as importantly, Joe has come to regard Lefty as a close and trusted friend, and Joe realizes that when the day comes where he has to turn in his Mob associates, he'll be ending Lefty's life as surely as if he put a slug in his head himself. The supporting cast includes Michael Madsen as Sonny, Lefty's boss, and Bruno Kirby as Nicky, one of Sonny's henchmen. The real-life Joe Pistone today lives under an assumed name with a 500,000-dollar contract on his life still in effect. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 55 min.
Directed By: Mike Newell
Written By: Paul Attanasio
Genres: Mystery & Suspense, Drama

In Theaters: Feb 28, 1997 Wide
On DVD: Jan 20, 1998
Studio: TriStar

Critic Reviews

Todd McCarthy, Variety
Although perhaps familiar in its outer trappings, Pacino's fine work is the key to the film succeeding to the extent that it does.
Rita Kempley, Washington Post
Unfortunately, the story isn't inventive and Newell's methodical approach to it verges on monotony.
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle
A first-class Mafia thriller that is also, in its way, a love story.
Rick Groen, Globe and Mail
In the tired figure of Lefty, manifest in the craggy icon of Pacino, our sympathies are definitely enlisted, and the theme rings a poignant note.
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone
Pacino and Depp are a match made in acting heaven, riffing off each other with astonishing subtlety and wit.
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times
Though the outline of what the film has tried to do is visible, so little feels at stake emotionally that anyone intending to care about these characters would be well advised, for want of a better phrase, to simply fhuggedaboudit.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
A gritty and humorous crime drama about an undercover cop infiltrating the Mafia.
Maitland McDonagh, TV Guide's Movie Guide
Depp's tight, guarded performance is almost painful to watch, and Newell seems to have reined in the flamboyant Pacino, whose portrait of the mobster as a grumpy old man may be his best work in years.
, Film4
It's tempting to think Pacino stopped trying sometime in the mid-1980s. But watch Lefty's elegiac final scene and you might conclude that it's not Al's ability that's dimmed, rather it's the imagination of casting directors that's grown stale.
Rob Gonsalves, eFilmCritic.com
[Newell and Attanasio] pay as much attention to emotional details as to the clockwork details of mob life.
James Plath, Movie Metropolis
Belongs in the first tier of mobster/wise guy movies, though the extended version doesn't add (or detract) much.
Chuck O'Leary, FulvueDrive-in.com
Just misses ranking in the upper echelon of mob movies.
, Time Out
A tense, sharp and compelling character study, Newell's film is a worthy addition to the Mob-movie canon.
Michael Dequina, TheMovieReport.com
A classy piece of work that may disappoint those looking for something more conventional.
Robin Clifford, Reeling Reviews
A blue collar gangster movie that succeeds on all attempted levels, particularly acting.
Philip Martin, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Donnie Brasco is a fine movie but it might just be best remembered as Johnny Depp's coming-out party. A star -- check that, an actor -- is born.
Dragan Antulov, rec.arts.movies.reviews
Shows that solid acting and writing can salvage even material that has been covered by much better filmmakers.
Jeanne Aufmuth, Palo Alto Weekly
Donnie Brasco manages to sidestep the obvious and dwell on the intriguing.
Margaret A. McGurk, Cincinnati Enquirer
In almost every respect, Donnie Brasco is an original, the unexpected rebirth of an old and oft-told tale.
Kevin N. Laforest, Montreal Film Journal
Donnie Brasco is 120 minutes of riveting filmmaking.

Read all 21 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Lady D

A good film which I re-watched recently. Undercover cop who gets close to Gangsters
moon r

A mob buddy movie ... only one of our buds is a rat. Pacino delivers another stellar, complex and surprising performance as a blue collar mobster. Depp too rises to the standard set as the man brought in. Madsen, Kirby, and Heche (!) are more than competent in supporting roles.… More
A mob buddy movie ... only one of our buds is a rat. Pacino delivers another stellar, complex and surprising performance as a blue collar mobster. Depp too rises to the standard set as the man brought in. Madsen, Kirby, and Heche (!) are more than competent in supporting roles. Much better than the average "based on a true story" rot by far.
Conner R

I know a lot of people flat out hate Donnie Brasco and call it the poor man's Goodfellas or Scorsese light, but I love it and think those accusations are completely different from the truth. Donnie Brasco does everything it can to take the glamor away from the gangster lifestyle.… More
I know a lot of people flat out hate Donnie Brasco and call it the poor man's Goodfellas or Scorsese light, but I love it and think those accusations are completely different from the truth. Donnie Brasco does everything it can to take the glamor away from the gangster lifestyle. It shows the terrible lives and choices of the people involved. A lot of this is done through the simple character moments and sequences. However, the main way this is achieved is through the slam dunk performances given by Johnny Depp and Al Pacino. They manage to be sympathetic characters in their own ways, but also show the true ugly side of being a "wiseguy". Both of these characters are very unhappy people who consciously make decisions that ruin their lives. While Donnie manages to escape his death trap in the end, we also see that some people never get out of the game. While this is not as polished and beautiful looking as say Goodfellas, it has no need to be. It's extremely effective the way it is.
Lewis C

"I'm not becoming like them, I am them." Donnie Brasco is a true crime story of a federal agent who infiltrated the Bonanno crime family over a period of years, ultimately resulting in a lot of successful prosecutions. I'm not usually the biggest fan of these… More
"I'm not becoming like them, I am them." Donnie Brasco is a true crime story of a federal agent who infiltrated the Bonanno crime family over a period of years, ultimately resulting in a lot of successful prosecutions. I'm not usually the biggest fan of these kinds of movies, but the cast makes Donnie Brasco pretty interesting, even for those who might not be into it, normally. Johnny Depp, Al Pacino, Michael Madsen, and other less-known (but still great) actors fill Donnie Brasco with performances that keep it as realistic as the subject matter deserves. It's nice to see Depp take on roles that are grounded in reality, because they prove that he's pretty good at just plain old acting. No eccentric characters required. And as good Al Pacino movies have become pretty rare these days, it's nice to be reminded that the guy is still brilliant at what he does when he gets good material to work with.
Michael S

A classic modern crime epic. On par with the genre's best.
Jeff "

Donnie Brasco is a very different gangster film The film shows the audience the going on's behind the scenes in the criminal underworld. A first rate cast gives this superior gangster flick a lot of class. Al Pacino and Johnny Depp deliver strong performances. Donnie Brasco is… More
Donnie Brasco is a very different gangster film The film shows the audience the going on's behind the scenes in the criminal underworld. A first rate cast gives this superior gangster flick a lot of class. Al Pacino and Johnny Depp deliver strong performances. Donnie Brasco is an intense drama film about an FBI informant that infiltrated the mob in the 1970's. Johnny Depp plays Donnie Brasco, the informant in one of the many crime families of New York City. This is an electrifying film and I have seen my fair share of mob films, and Donnie Brasco is an entirely different film because it shows an informant infiltrating the mob, a theme not really talked about in a gangster film. Sure at times, we see gangsters dealing with rats,.informants, but never have we seen a film with the perspective of the informant, avery interesting premise for a film. Sure may theres The Departed, but it's very different, because Donnie Brasco is based on a real story, and the people in the film are real or are based on real characters. Johnny Depp is terrific as Donnie Brasco, and he gives yet another top notch performance. Depp was definitely well chosen for the role, and in a film, like this, it just shows the amount of talent that he has as an actor and he's able to pull off awesome roles.A very different look at the criminal underworld, Donnie Brasco is a different type of mob film. It takes you behind the scenes of the glamoure and shows you exactly how it is. A very intense and well directed and acted film.
Aditya G

Mike Newell's "Donnie Brasco" is what I call a Gangster drama with a heart! This movie is not so much about gangster violence as it is about personal conflicts and inner frustrations of the two lead characters of the story. Based on a true story, "Donnie… More
Mike Newell's "Donnie Brasco" is what I call a Gangster drama with a heart! This movie is not so much about gangster violence as it is about personal conflicts and inner frustrations of the two lead characters of the story. Based on a true story, "Donnie Brasco" is about the real life "Operation Donnie Brasco" carried out by the FBI, in which Agent Joseph Pistone went undercover as a Jewel thief expert for infiltrating the Bonanno Crime Family in New York during the late 70s. Johnny Depp stars as Joseph Pistone who goes undercover as Donnie Brasco and befriends Benjamin "Lefty" Ruggiero (Al Pacino). Lefty is an aging, low-level mob hitman who is not doing very good on the personal front. He does not seem to be financially well off and has a son who's a drug addict. And as is clear from the film's proceedings, he is an underdog in the family, inspite of having as many as 26 hits in his long mafia history. He seems to have remained where he is, and keeps getting stepped over. In his conversations with Donnie he keeps venting out these grievances and Donnie acts as the good listener. Donnie, on the other hand, has problems of his own, trying to strike a balance between his family life and his demanding job. Anne Heche plays the Mrs. Pistone who is having a difficult time taking care of their three little daughters without their father around. What adds to her woes is the fact that her husband disappears for days together and does not divulge the details of his job to her. From time to time, Donnie keeps providing his FBI fellow-men all the information he can about Lefty and the rest of the crew including Sonny Black (Michael Madsen). The story develops so forth. As a gangster film, "Donnie Brasco" does not succeed as well as some other films out there which excel in quality. However, as a character drama centering around the two lead characters, Lefty and Pistone, it certainly delivers. Johnny Depp delivers a knock-out performance as Joseph Pistone. He is simply great! He breathes so much life into the character that you can actually see his gradual transformation into a mobster when he begins to walk and talk like them, as his wife rightly puts in one key scene "you are becoming like them"! If only he did more meaningful roles like these than all those comic book fantasy characters he plays in those countless Tim Burton films ("Ed Wood" is an exception, of course!) As for Al Pacino, it is very heartbreaking to see him as a failed gangster for once. This is the man who you've seen in numerous films as the angry, dominating, ruthless gangster who always has things his way. But "Donnie Brasco" is quite an exception. Here, he is the loser, who knows he is one and is constantly talking about being stepped over and sidelined all the time by others younger than him. He is tired of getting stuck at the same position inspite of a 30 year old life in the mafia and a commendable number of 'hits' under his belt. Quite a few notable scenes in which Pacino is simply fabulous..one that comes to mind is the scene in which Sonny Black gets promoted or "upped" as they call it. Pacino's reaction is so natural and convincing, it instantly makes you empathize with him. Plenty of such moments and episodes in this film prove that Pacino delivers one of his finest acting performances in this film. As for the supporting cast: Quite nice, all of them. Michael Madsen is great, but we are so used to seeing him in gangster roles that it doesn't quite come off as anything different. Anne Heche does a pretty decent job as the frustrated wife of the busy FBI agent. Patrick Doyle's original score is superb and melancholic and suits the mood of the film. Paul Attanasio's screenplay based on Pistone's book "Donnie Brasco: My Undercover Life in the Mafia" is pretty good, but one can't help but think that it certainly leaves a little to be desired. Mike Newell directs well and pulls off a genre he had never attempted, pretty successfully. "Donnie Brasco" is a fine film which succeeds more as a character drama than as a gangster flick. Absolutely "fuh-get about it"! ;)
Eric S

Quite a good gangster film based on a true story. It follows FBI agent Joe D. Pistone(Johnny Depp) as he infiltrates the mafia in 1978 New York City. Pistone goes undercover using the name Donnie Brasco, and befriends a "made" mafioso named Benjamin "Lefty"… More
Quite a good gangster film based on a true story. It follows FBI agent Joe D. Pistone(Johnny Depp) as he infiltrates the mafia in 1978 New York City. Pistone goes undercover using the name Donnie Brasco, and befriends a "made" mafioso named Benjamin "Lefty" Ruggiero(Al Pacino) who collects money for the "bosses". Due to the friendship which develops between Lefty and Pistone who he first becomes involved with as they "collect" money, Pistone develops concern for his mafia friends, particularly Lefty who he believes will take the fall if he walks away. The new boss Sonny Black well portrayed by Michael Madsen is fed up with Lefty, and turns to Brasco to clean up the mess. Depp's performance is yet another exceptional piece of character work by one of our finest actors. Pacino turns in a respectful performance as well as the vulnerable mafioso who is a bit out of his element that he believes to be very much his own.
♥Robyn

The true soul of the New York mob is portrayed in Donnie Brasco, a first-class Mafia thriller that is also in its way a love story
Al S

A stylish, intriguing, honest and remarkable gangster picture. A classic. A riveting crime drama. It's brilliant, stunning and sizzeling. Knockout performances. Al Pacino and Johnny Depp are teriffic. Pacino proves once again why he's one of the greatest that ever lived.… More
A stylish, intriguing, honest and remarkable gangster picture. A classic. A riveting crime drama. It's brilliant, stunning and sizzeling. Knockout performances. Al Pacino and Johnny Depp are teriffic. Pacino proves once again why he's one of the greatest that ever lived. Depp gives one of the best performances of his career. The two dynamite stars show outstanding chemistry together. Micheal Madsen is brilliant. Director, Mike Newell has crafted a well established and brilliant film. It's the most insightful, hard-hitting, hard-edged and honest gangster movie since Goodfellas.
Anthony L

A good gangster film but it's a little overrated. Pacino and Depp aren't really at their best but overall, this is a very entertaining film with a good supporting cast.
Josh L

Great cast with stellar performances and a decent story. It isn't anything I haven't seen before and done slightly better, but a solid gangster movie that's worth watching.
Lorenzo v

"Donnie Brasco. Based On A True Story." This drama about an undercover cop who learns the hidden dangers of working his way inside the mob was based on a true story. Joe Pistone (Johnny Depp) is an FBI agent who is given an assignment to infiltrate the… More
"Donnie Brasco. Based On A True Story." This drama about an undercover cop who learns the hidden dangers of working his way inside the mob was based on a true story. Joe Pistone (Johnny Depp) is an FBI agent who is given an assignment to infiltrate the Mafia; calling himself Donnie Brasco, he befriends Lefty Ruggiero (Al Pacino), a low-level mob hit man whose personal life is in tatters. Lefty's marriage is falling apart, his son is a junkie, and his health is failing, which only adds to his growing disillusionment about having spent 30 years with the Mafia (and killing 26 people) with little to show for it. But in Donnie, Lefty sees someone who can succeed where he failed; he takes the young man under his wing, and under Lefty's tutelage Donnie quickly rises through the ranks of organized crime; however, the longer he plays the role of the gangster, the more Joe Pistone finds himself becoming Donnie Brasco in his increasingly rare off hours; it drives a wedge between himself and his wife (Anne Heche) and children, and Joe realizes that a break in character among the hoodlums he's come to know could mean a death sentence for himself and his family. Just as importantly, Joe has come to regard Lefty as a close and trusted friend, and Joe realizes that when the day comes where he has to turn in his Mob associates, he'll be ending Lefty's life as surely as if he put a slug in his head himself. The supporting cast includes Michael Madsen as Sonny, Lefty's boss, and Bruno Kirby as Nicky, one of Sonny's henchmen. Review It is important to remember that in probably every gangster film, from the Public Enemy to Goodfellas, the anti-heroes are hugely likable characters who we easily gain empathy more. Al Pacino as Lefty is so convincing as an ignored foot soldier and world weary gangster, it is easy to see why Joe/Donnie likes him so much. It continually amazes me that in the 90's, Pacino just by the gestures, postures and voices he employed in his characterisations seemed to jump between ages. As Frank Slade he seemed like a washed up blind man, who to get out of bed was a strain, whilst in the same year, as Carlito he seemed twenty years younger. Donnie Brasco is another fine example of this. At times he seems as old as your grandad but always somehow manages to mix menace with pathos and humour. Donnie Brasco - the last great gangster movie. It not as magnificent as the Godfather or as epic as Casino, but in its portrayal of the insidous nature of the 'life' on even straight shooters like Depp it is unrivaled.
Alice S

Very gripping in that the film paints a sympathetic villain. Lefty is the gangster Willy Loman.
Chris G

Donnie Brasco is a decent mob drama starring Johnny Depp as an FBI undercover agent and Al Pacino as the two bit mobster that brings him into the inner circle. The film is your typical mob film with the undercover gent being paranoid about getting caught and the effect it has on his… More
Donnie Brasco is a decent mob drama starring Johnny Depp as an FBI undercover agent and Al Pacino as the two bit mobster that brings him into the inner circle. The film is your typical mob film with the undercover gent being paranoid about getting caught and the effect it has on his family- you've seen this part before. The only real standout in the film is Al Pacino's character Lefty. Instead of Pacino playing the mob boss, he plays a pathetic stooge who works for what amounts another stooge played by Michael Madsen. These guys are like the minimum wage earners of the New York mafia,. Yeah they drive Cadillacs and Lincolns, but Al Pacino is NOT playing Michael Corleone or Tony Montana in this one. Think of him as a stooge for Luca Brazzi. I found this unpolished version of Pacino's chacter's life in the Mafia to be more interesting than Depp's Pistone family crisis (which is oddly interpreted on screen). Overall, this is an OK film that shows off the skills of the veteran Pacino and the soon-to-become-superstar Depp.
Tim S

Pacino is the movie, but I can't buy Depp as a real person.
Curtis L

Great depiction of mob life and loyalty. Al Pacino was amazing.
A B

Outstanding performances, and a great mobster movie. Recommended viewing
Jens S

While I am not a big fan of mob and mafia thrillers this is still pretty watchable for its great actors and their performances. Depp and Pacino are convincing as always. The plot isn't awfully exciting and the end comes very sudden and feels anti-climatic, but I guess that's… More
While I am not a big fan of mob and mafia thrillers this is still pretty watchable for its great actors and their performances. Depp and Pacino are convincing as always. The plot isn't awfully exciting and the end comes very sudden and feels anti-climatic, but I guess that's how real events happen sometimes. Seeing Pacino deliver his foul-mouthed lines is fun enough.
Lafe F

A decent ganster movie. There's the gruesome scene where they cut some guy apart with tools. It has some suspenseful scenes when I thought Donnie Brasco would be discovered as an undercover cop.