Al Pacino and Johnny Depp together for the first time. The former a veteran of classic genre of mob movies like God Father I & II, Scarface and Heat. The latter an amazing actor of films such as Pirates of the Carribean, Secret Garden, Edward Scissorhands, Willy Wonka of Charlie and Chocolate Factory and so on. Michael Madsen the Mr. Blonde of ’Reservoir Dogs’ in a major supporting role.
What a disapponiment! It was a damp squib
Damp
Storywise it has nothing new to offer. Same old story of a cop, FBI agent Joe Pistone (Depp) in this case, going undercover as a gangster (Donnie Brasco) to collect evidence against Mafia. In the process he feels attached to his mentor Lefty (Pacino) and feels guilty about betraying him. We have seen it in countless movies, be it ’Point Break’ or the recent Oscar coup ’Departed’. Heck we saw it in ’Batman Begins’.
Director Mike Newell, of ’Four Weddings and a Funeral’ having no previous experience with the mob movies is the source of the woes. Imagine Satyajit Ray making RGVs ’Company’. No doubt Ray was a great director. But he wouldn’t have been able to direct a successful gangster flick. Of course he would have given it more inner meanings, subtleity and poigancy to make it standard Oscars fare. But that’s not why people watch these type of movies. They have certain expectations in terms of slick execution, dark and brooding background, exponentially increasing body count and visceral violence. Throwing in a couple of punchlines here and 185 F words there doesn’t cut it.
Derrire
I am wildly surprised Al Pacino gets praised for the character he played here. Lefty’s role is more or less that of a toothless circus lion Pacino got gifted in the movie. For a hitman with 26 hits to his credit (ab tak chabbis), he sits at home and watches Discovery channel videos. No, it’s not Bay Watch videos, you read it correctly - Discovery channel videos. He keeps watching re-run of a show about a Cheetah in the African Savannah, and mind you no other!
May be Lefty having a cancer of the dick, as admitted by Pacino, has something to do with it? But then why does he have a Hot live-in? When all that’s shown is her assisting him in cooking, or rather burning, food. No Italian Mafia movie is complete with the mandatory cooking scene. Here, Pacino burns it mercilessly with a ’punch’ of salt, what was he thinking, after making the tall claims of Men being the best cooks even on Mars.
The scene where he whacks three Mafia top guns is a hoot. For a guy who was a gentle mentor, almost Robbie Williamish till then, when the guns fail he picks an axe and chops the fallen guys like an Axe Murderer! Chainsaw Massacre stuff follows. It’s never explained as to how such a violent person forgave Depp, for an earlier betrayal.
Depp never raises to his legendary levels. The character is far too simple and straightforward for him (like my rubbished Pizza Hut review). He needs to concentrate on playing weird characters like Sparrow and Wonka. Emotional stuff is not suited to him. Edward Norton would have been a better choice.
Anne Heche as his wife Maggie is the last straw. She had the same wooden expression throughout the movie. She looks like she is laughing while actually she is crying and vice versa. Totally pathetic and horrible performance. She must be awarded a ’Razzie’ or two for her performance here.
Clean Up
There are only a couple scenes in the movie worthy of Pacinos standards. Tearing away the friendship card on the ship after losing out to Madsen in the club business betrayed by Depp, who gets promoted as a ’made up’ guy. The scene in the car with Depp after having bumped a long time associate because Sonny thought he was a rat. And the climax scene. For rest of the movie Pacino is wasted delivering ’Dummies Guide to becoming a Wiseguy’ dialogues to Depp (as if he never watched any Hollywood moves in his whole life).
If you are a regular mob film fan, it’s avoidable fare. You may like it if you are a sucker for poignancy, even in an out and out gangster movie
[Consolation Prize - Blink and miss it scene of topless girls dancing aboard the ship ]