Donnie Brasco (1997)
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An undercover FBI agent infiltrates the Bonanno crime family in 1970s New York City, forming a dangerous bond with an aging hitman.
The story
In 1978 New York City, an undercover FBI agent posing as a jewel thief named Donnie Brasco infiltrates the Bonanno crime family. He is taken under the wing of Lefty Ruggiero, an aging hitman who becomes his mentor. As Donnie moves deeper into the criminal underworld, he begins to experience the complexities of life within the Mafia. While he successfully gathers information for the FBI, the lines between his identity as a federal agent and his persona as a criminal begin to blur, leading to a situation where his actions put his mentor's life in jeopardy.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1978 New York City, undercover FBI agent Joseph D. Pistone, posing as jewel thief Donnie Brasco, infiltrates the Bonanno crime family. He is mentored by Lefty Ruggiero, an aging hitman. While Pistone gathers intelligence for the FBI, he develops a genuine bond with Lefty. The operation expands to include another agent, but internal tensions rise within the mob. After a series of violent events, including the death of a rival and the arrest of both Lefty and Donnie by the FBI to protect Donnie's cover, the truth is revealed. Lefty is left to face the consequences of the infiltration, while Pistone is rewarded by the government but must live under an assumed name with a price on his head.
- First release year
- 1997
- Runtime (minutes)
- 126
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Mike Newell
- Writers
- Paul Attanasio · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Al Pacino · Lefty Ruggiero; Johnny Depp · Joseph D. Pistone; Michael Madsen; Bruno Kirby; James Russo; Anne Heche
- Genres
- biographical; gangster; crime drama
- Themes
- identity; loyalty; undercover operations
- Tone and mood
- serious; tense
- Premise and plot tags
- true story; mafia; undercover
- Source material / true-story basis
- Donnie Brasco: My Undercover Life in the Mafia by Joseph D. Pistone (1988)
- Reception
- The film was a box-office success and received positive reviews from critics, who specifically praised the performances of Al Pacino and Johnny Depp.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 88% · scale: percentage · review count: 57; Rotten Tomatoes · score: 8.00 · scale: 10
- Awards and nominations
- Best Adapted Screenplay · Academy Awards · 70th · Nomination
- Production trivia
- The film was based on a memoir by Joseph D. Pistone.; The investigation led to over 200 indictments and over 100 convictions.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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