Donnie Brasco

Being a huge can of mob movies I am surprised that it has taken me this long to see this movie. Starring Johnny Depp as an FBI agent who infiltrates the mob as Donnie Brasco a jewel theif and con man who is taken under the wing by made man Lefty played by Al Pacino.

The movie provides a good view into the life of a low level mobster. Being squeezed from below as he needs to make money to pay up and by his boss who needs to collect to pay up. In the end it is a ponzi scheme of theft.

As Lefty has vouched for Donnie over time Donnie becomes involved in much of the activity of the family.

The pyschological toll of being in the mob, living a double life is played very well by Depp. As Brasco develops relationships he finds himself caring about Lefty and realizing that as Lefty brought him into the mob that when he pulls out on the mob he will be responsible for Lefty being killed.

Anne Heche plays his wife who is increasingly frustrated by his absences and frantic with worry over his safety.

Perhaps most telling is the last scene where Donnie Brasco now back as himself in the FBI offices is given an award and a $500 check. In ways one can tell that he feels remorse for the damage inflicted on people he had grown close to by neccessity. He and his family live to this day in witness protection.

This is a very good movie.