“A wise guy’s always right; even when he’s wrong, he’s right.” -Lefty
Number of Times Seen – Twice (Video in ’98 and 7 Dec 2021)
Brief Synopsis – An undercover government agent gets in very deep with the New York mafia and needs to decide which side of the law he really wants to be on.
My Take on it – Really enjoyable film that works really well due to its great performances.
Al Pacino does a wonderful job here even if his character isn’t the main focus of things.
Johnny Depp tho is able to once again prove how great a dramatic actor he can be with all that he brings to this film.
The story is based on real events and people and that helps keep things feeling very realistic.
The film has a Sopranos vibe to it throughout which is great to see since it shows how this kind of movie was influential in the characters and story lines of that TV show which came out a few years after this movie.
The film might be slightly too long, but still doesn’t drag along too much, which lets it still come across quite engaging throughout.
Loved seeing Michael Madsen in this movie as atop level gangster instead of just being a small time crook like in many of his best roles.
The movie is able to also show the kind of strain an undercover assignment like this one can conceivably have on a family and despite some of those scenes coming across very powerfully ad harsh, they still feel realistic.
Recommended!
MovieRob’s Favorite Trivia – Al Pacino loved being able to use all of the rich Mafia slang throughout the film. Writer Paul Attanasio captured mob dialect so accurately, because he had Joseph D. Pistone’s wire taps. (From IMDB)
Rating – Globe Worthy (8/10)
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