La critique de James Berardinelli (1)
*
Al Pacino in a Mafia movie feels as natural as peanut butter with jelly. Mike Newell, the director of such popular British comedies as Enchanted April and Four Weddings and a Funeral, is another matter altogether. When you think of a director for New York- based, mob-related motion pictures, names like Brian De Palma, Francis Ford Coppola, and Martin Scorsese leap to mind. Unexpectedly, however, Newell slides effortlessly into the genre, fashioning a motion picture that is simultaneously like and unlike traditional wiseguy films.
Donnie Brasco is based on the true story of FBI agent Joe Pistone (Johnny Depp), who went undercover and infiltrated the New York City mob during the late 1970s. Joe, who went by the name of "Donnie Brasco", played his role so effectively that he rose to extraordinary heights within the organization, holding a place alongside his mentor, Lefty (Al Pacino), in the inner circle of boss Sonny Black (Michael Madsen). But, the more time he spent with members of the Mafia, the more like them he became. And, after a while, Joe could no longer tell where his true loyalties lay: to his wife (Anne Heche), family, and government, or to the wiseguys who had adopted him into their exclusive club and lifestyle.
