This movie is like flat soda. It's got the right flavor, but it's missing the fizz.
This movie is almost like a parody of the mafia. I mean, how many times are we supposed to hear a character say "fuggedaboutit" before we roll our eyes? At one point, Depp explains this cliche mafia phrase to his pals at the FBI.
The biggest problem, then, is that the writing is painfully mediocre. The characters are poorly written and not properly cast. Donnie (Depp) is dull and flat and boyish, more suited to a lesser role like a fixer or a cleaner than an FBI informant. Leftie (Pacino) is too weak and dopey to warrant a leading role (I mean, the name says it all). He is a peon with nothing to his name, living in some ramshackle apartment and borrowing a hundred dollars here and there from Donnie. And Sonny Black (I don't know the actor's name) is more a henchman than a mob boss.
Second, and partly as a result of the first problem, none of the characters are sympathetic. As a viewer, I didn't much care what happened to any of them, and thus the relationships lack the sort of emotion and believability that is required to make a great movie. This is especially true of the father-son-like relationship between Lefty and Donnie. For one, not enough effort or time is spent trying to develop that relationship: Lefty meets Donnie in the bar, they beat up a guy who gives Leftie a "fugazi" diamond ring, and suddenly they're inseparable. Throughout, Lefty says the right words, telling Donnie at one point that he loves him, that he would throw a hand grenade into every store on the street for him, but it's just unconvincing. Donnie's job as an FBI informant turns him into an absent father whose marriage is falling apart. The woman who plays his wife does the best she can with the script, but don't get me started on his three kids. They are utterly lifeless, and Donnie's attempts to be a good dad - sneaking into their rooms to say good night, or talking with them over breakfast - falls totally flat.
The movie only begins to get interesting in the latter third. We FINALLY see some violence (I thought this was a rated R gangster movie?). And there are scenes that almost succeed in building suspense.
The cinematography and score are neat and tight, and I did chuckle a few times at the mafia humor. The writing and acting are mediocre and a bit goofy, but passable enough. For these reasons I almost gave it 7 stars. But it's just not that good.
And so 6-out-of-10 stars it is.
This movie is almost like a parody of the mafia. I mean, how many times are we supposed to hear a character say "fuggedaboutit" before we roll our eyes? At one point, Depp explains this cliche mafia phrase to his pals at the FBI.
The biggest problem, then, is that the writing is painfully mediocre. The characters are poorly written and not properly cast. Donnie (Depp) is dull and flat and boyish, more suited to a lesser role like a fixer or a cleaner than an FBI informant. Leftie (Pacino) is too weak and dopey to warrant a leading role (I mean, the name says it all). He is a peon with nothing to his name, living in some ramshackle apartment and borrowing a hundred dollars here and there from Donnie. And Sonny Black (I don't know the actor's name) is more a henchman than a mob boss.
Second, and partly as a result of the first problem, none of the characters are sympathetic. As a viewer, I didn't much care what happened to any of them, and thus the relationships lack the sort of emotion and believability that is required to make a great movie. This is especially true of the father-son-like relationship between Lefty and Donnie. For one, not enough effort or time is spent trying to develop that relationship: Lefty meets Donnie in the bar, they beat up a guy who gives Leftie a "fugazi" diamond ring, and suddenly they're inseparable. Throughout, Lefty says the right words, telling Donnie at one point that he loves him, that he would throw a hand grenade into every store on the street for him, but it's just unconvincing. Donnie's job as an FBI informant turns him into an absent father whose marriage is falling apart. The woman who plays his wife does the best she can with the script, but don't get me started on his three kids. They are utterly lifeless, and Donnie's attempts to be a good dad - sneaking into their rooms to say good night, or talking with them over breakfast - falls totally flat.
The movie only begins to get interesting in the latter third. We FINALLY see some violence (I thought this was a rated R gangster movie?). And there are scenes that almost succeed in building suspense.
The cinematography and score are neat and tight, and I did chuckle a few times at the mafia humor. The writing and acting are mediocre and a bit goofy, but passable enough. For these reasons I almost gave it 7 stars. But it's just not that good.
And so 6-out-of-10 stars it is.