Sony has come out with an unrated “Extended Edition” of the 1997 classic mob film Donnie Brasco. This continues a recent trend of Sony re-releasing several of the Tri-Star films that they acquired when they bought the former studio’s library of films. For Donnie Brasco, this is the THIRD different DVD release and unfortunately, this one is a cheap attempt by Sony to try and rook you out of your hard earned cash.
Yes, there is 20 extra minutes of footage but ALMOST ALL of it adds NOTHING to the film and the extras have all been imported from the previous DVD release with the curious exception of the director’s commentary by Mike Newell. That leads me to believe that this was NOT director approved. In the past with other Sony extended/director’s cuts of films like The Natural, Bugsy and even the upcoming Revenge there are CLEAR indicators that the director had approved this version such as an intro explaining the changes, a retrospective documentary where the director acknowledges the changes or a commentary by the director. Here you have none of them.
Lefty takes him under his wing and shows him the rules and ways of the mob. This is significant not just for Donnie who has finally gotten his “in” but for Lefty, a sad, pathetic over the hill low-level mobster/hitman who desperately needs someone to respect him and look up to him. He certainly gets none from his own crew, which consists of the carefree jokester Nicky (the late, great Bruno Kirby), hard as nails and suspicious Paulie (James Russo) and the leader of the crew Sonny Black (Michael Madsen), an enigmatic but highly volatile gangster.
Lefty is a lifer in the mob but has NOTHING to show for it. He is always passed up for getting “upped” and is still just a lowly triggerman. Lefty is constantly broke, can’t take care of his girlfriend Annette, his son is a junkie and even worse Lefty is in the medical books for having “cancer of the prick.” Donnie is a breathe of fresh air to Lefty who views him as the son he always wanted but never had. Lefty introduces Donnie to the crew as “a friend of mine.” This means that Lefty is responsible for Donnie and his actions as it is he who brought him into the crew.
In addition to his growing neglect of his family, Donnie has to deal with witnessing several murders as he goes on jobs with the crew, a growing feud between his crew and another rival crew, protecting his identity at the expense of innocent people’s lives (a scene in a Japanese restaurant where he refuses to take off his shoes is truly chilling), and even having to dispose of dead bodies.
One of the unique things about Donnie Brasco is that you NEVER get the sense that being a gangster is any fun for these guys. It is hard, brutal work that rarely if ever pays off. You see them freezing in the cold, waiting for whichever boss is still alive to grace them with his presence and walk by like a king. There is nothing glamorous or even remotely fun about this mob life. Even in Goodfellas, a film that this will remind you of more than once, you see SOME of the perks of being a mobster; nice tables at the Copa, beautiful houses, numerous mistresses. In Donnie Brasco, there is none of that. Everyone is in constant fear of getting whacked due to not being able to make enough money to cover their vig.
When he and his wife finally break down to each other, it is a sad catharsis as each admits to the other how disconnected their lives have become. Eventually the film hinges on what Lefty does when he discovers some crucial information that may blow Donnie’s cover.
Depp really came into his own here as Donnie. He had already gained the reputation as an actor that went for eccentric, non box office type roles but he had never shown the range and intensity he does here. You see the conflict in his eyes throughout as he straddles the line between loyalty to his job and loyalty to Lefty. The job takes an emotional toll on him that you see right before your eyes. Ironically, both Lefty and Donnie are “betrayed” by the groups they had sworn loyalty to and had given their lives to. Lefty gets a cruel equivalent of a “gold watch” by the mob and Donnie is shown the gratitude for his work by the F.B.I. by him being given the equivalent of a bag of popcorn.
It’s a credit to the writing of Paul Attanasio and director Mike Newell that they explore this aspect to conclude the film. The supporting cast Madsen, Kirby, Russo and Heche all bring originality and depth to their characters and each has a powerhouse scene that defines their character. Look for an early Paul Giamatti and Tim Blake Nelson, billed as F.B.I. technicians here, in a classic scene where Depp explains the many different meanings of “fugeddaboutit.” Attanasio’s writing, which was nominated for an Oscar, is grittier and feels more real then just about any mob movie other than Goodfellas.
Newell, who was coming off of Four Weddings and a Funeral, might have seemed an odd choice, but he makes the film his own by giving it his own slant and while making the violence in the film extremely graphic, he uses it sparingly and to great effect. Patrick Doyle’s beautiful, haunting score, which recalls something that the great Ennio Morricone might have come up with, is a constant reminder as to the hopelessness of everyone involved. The original version of the film is a masterpiece.
About the only extra that even remotely seems interesting is a subplot that deals with Donnie and his family getting audited by the IRS. Yet, the uncaring nature of the government that he has faithfully devoted himself too is already made painfully clear at the end so, much like the rest of the new footage, it seems like overkill of themes and actions that have already been shown.
The extras included here, minus the director’s commentary, have been lifted from the previous and better version. They include the 23-minute Out from the Shadows that goes through the origins and making of the film and features the real Joe Pistone and a brief seven-minute promotional featurette. Other than that, there’s a 3-minute photo montage and some trailers. There was clearly NO thought at all behind this version. If there had been, this would’ve been a 2-disc set, the Newell commentary would have been included and the original, and much better, theatrical version would’ve been included as well.
I am surprised at this because, for the most part, Sony has done a stellar job with these director’s cuts or extended cuts or whatever euphemism you like when it comes to double or triple dipping films with the enticement of new footage. They have dropped the ball with this one. It’s almost insulting that they would release this.
Donnie Brasco (Extended Cut) is now available at Amazon . As of yet, this version of the DVD is not available in the UK. Visit the DVD database for more information.
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