‘Donnie Brasco’ 1997 Review – AMC Mob Week – Movie Friday

Story: I was very impressed by this one. It’s based on a true story and it was very good. Going into this, I was thinking “Hey Johnny Depp is a cool guy, Al Pacino has a goofy overcoat”. That’s all I thought. I really didn’t know what it was about either, except that it had something to do with the mob. But to my suprise, I loved this movie. The ending was a little ehhh, but yeah, you know. They tried to stay to the real story and be as accurate as possible. They even got the real Joseph Pistone to be an advisor to the film to make sure they were staying true to the real story.

Visuals: The cinematography, lighting, and colors of the film were a little bland at parts, but overall, it was good.

Music: I didn’t notice much music really. I even tried paying attention to try and hear music. But I heard very little background music throughout the film. The opening credits music really fit with all the snapshots of Brasco and Lefty though. I even looked up that song after finishing the film.

Characters: Based on a true story, the characters were very interesting. Going into this, I couldn’t really imagine Johnny Depp playing a serious role after seeing films of his such as Pirates Of The Carribean, Willy Wonka, Alice And Wonderland, Edward Scissorhands, etc. As for Al Pacino, I did not like his big, fluffy, goofy coat he wore throughout the film.

Rewatch Value: Moderate. I’ll probably watch it again with my dad and so I can fully understand the story.

‘Scarface’ Review 1983 – AMC Mob Week

 

Story: The story follows the tale of Tony Montana, a Cuban immigrant with a criminal past as he rises in the world of drugs. The story of this movie is fantastic. The emotions are felt, and the tale is fantastic. Everything is good about this movie. Oliver Stone did a great job writing the movie, and the dialog comes with some memorable lines such as “This town like a great big p*ssy just waiting to get f*cked” and “Say hello to my little friend!”. Not to mention the “You need people like me” speech. This story is the perfect story of the rise and fall of a man, mentally, and physically

Visuals: The cinematography is great in this film. John A. Alonzo who also did Chinatown. Scene’s are fantastic, ranging from dark and scary, to bright and cheerful. While, it isn’t the perfect example of how to shot a movie, it’s still a good one.

Music: Now the music isn’t very strong in this film. Very eighties, and to be honest, I found it a little annoying after awhile. It isn’t bad, but I felt that it could use more variety in the film score, or at least a stronger soundtrack.

Characters: The Characters is this film are fantastic. Al Pacino does the character of Tony Montana justice. But this isn’t only about the character of Tony Montana. Steven Bauer who plays Manny Ribera also does a great job at playing him. One of the greatest scenes of the movie is when Manny chases the Communist down in freedomtown. Michelle Pfeiffer as Elvira Hancock is also a great character, with the famous quote of “Don’t get high on your own supply”. All the actors do a great job in this movie

Rewatch Value: This movie has a high rewatch value, but like any movie, can get old fast. I would watch this many times more, but maybe only twice at a year. If you stick to once or twice a year, this movie will never get old.