Donnie Brasco is focused on ripping away our expectations for a Mafia movie.
Like Unforgiven and Clint Eastwood, casting Al Pacino as Lefty is perfect.
We know and expect Pacino to be in charge.
As an audience, we may love and hate Michael Corleone but he always demands respect.
To see Pacino play this washed up loser is shocking.
He’s a perfect character for Johnny Depp’s Brasco to fool because Lefty is exactly that.
This whole movie goes against what we expect.
The scene where Lefty is thinking he is about to get get whacked only to get a lion.
It shows the paranoia these guys feel on a constant basis.
You’re never really safe.
These tough guys are surrounded by fear all the time.
But examine how that scene is shot.
We are also rooting for a rat in Donnie Brasco.
He holds his own with Pacino in each and every scene they are in together.
Even the director Mike Newell is not what you’d expect.
He is a British guy and was coming off Four Weddings And A Funeral.
I’m guessing some people will be shocked to see this ahead of Heat.
Admittedly, Heat has better specific scenes.
But it also is bloated and has weird performances that completely take you out of the movie.
What I love about Brasco is the soul of the movie.
Despite being a 26 time murderer (at least), Pacino has us liking Lefty.
Joe Pistone (the actual undercover cop who became Donnie Brasco) is still alive.
Talk about a true hero.
I can’t imagine being 1/1000th that brave.
Check out the NYPD/NYFD hockey game on Sunday.
I got to walk with some of these guys last week and they were great.
Terminator 2: Judgement Day
31.
Out Of Sight
36.
Carlito’s Way
37.
Wayne’s World
45.
Back To The Future Part III
47.
A Bronx Tale
48.
The People Vs. Larry Flynt
49.
Eyes Wide Shut
50.
The Green Mile
54.
Man On The Moon
55.
Boyz N The Hood
56.
Grosse Pointe Blank
57.
The Talented Mr. Ripley
63.
The Usual Suspects
65.
In The Line Of Fire
66.
My Cousin Vinny
67.
The River Wild
79.
What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?
Stir Of Echoes
82.
Mission: Impossible
83.
For Love Of The Game
86.
Being John Malkovich
87.
Men In Black
88.
Glengarry Glen Ross
92.
Die Hard With A Vengeance
93.
The Blair Witch Project
94.
Any Given Sunday
99.
The Wedding Singer
100.
