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Niten. NR (75 KP) rated Donnie Brasco (1997) in Movies

Jul 15, 2017

Donnie Brasco (1997)

1997 | Drama, Mystery

7.0

(5 Ratings)

Movie Rating Watch

Johnny Depp (2 more)

Al Pacino

True Story

Forgettaboutit!

Great film. Great start to a film....Just look at the information passed in the opening credits, we see gangsters, photographs, evidence, this film sets the scene in the first 1 minute, let alone 20. After that, the film plays out brilliantly. Depp plays Don the Jeweller (aka undercover FBI Agent Joe Pistone) infiltrating the New York mob/crime family. Al Pacino plays the flawed gangster Lefty Two Guns. I like a few other supporting roles like Michael Madsen as the rising mob boss Sonny Black, and Paul Giamatti show us great talent in a small role as FBI technician.
This is just a great film where we see Donny torn to pieces by the guilt of not being with his family, the pressure and danger of infiltrating the mob as an undercover agent, and the confused loyalties and love for his connected contact Lefty.
Lefty struggles with his tenuous and fragile position within the mob and looks at Donny as a way up or out.
The film can only go one way but it's fun getting there.
Ill not divulge too much but, for me, its a must watch. Enjoy.

Kudos

Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated The Confession Tapes - Season 1 in TV

Sep 9, 2017

Brilliantly executed and produced (0 more)

Having to wait for another series (0 more)

Traumatic watch, another brilliant true crime series

I have to say I was deeply traumatised watching this astounding yet disturbing series on confessions. Netflix have showcased another incredible documentary series about police misconduct and failings of the judicial process in these six cases.

Like Making A Murderer, it is well produced and directed leaving only the voices of those involved in these cases within the documentaries. However, it looks at one case per 45 minute episode bar the first episode which is spread across two. And it's relentless. Police techniques in questioning the accused range from psychological torture to even what appears to be hypnosis.

The cases itself are horrific. From confessing to the murder of your family, and your children, to brutal murders that led to an entire neighbourhood in Washington DC to break apart after convicting nine innocent teenagers. And no other leads are followed, and it's all based on circumstantial evidence. It makes you really question if you can trust the system. Watch it with caution as it can be harrowing.

Kudos

Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2316 KP) rated Rogue Lawyer in Books

Aug 11, 2018

Rogue Lawyer

John Grisham | 2016 | Fiction & Poetry

5.7

(3 Ratings)

Book Rating

Character Study that Left Me Cold

This book introduces us to Sebastian Rudd, a lawyer who handles the clients no one else wants to take on. We’re talking about an older teen accused of a horrible crime and convicted by the people of his town. Or a mobster on death row. With enemies from the ranks of the police and the clients he hasn’t been able to get off, can Sebastian navigate his life?

The book is really more of a character study with several cases taking the foreground at various points. It reads like these stories were originally published separately and brought together for this book, although I haven’t researched to know if that is true or not. The ending definitely leaves things open for more books. My issue is that I had a hard time liking many of the characters and found myself actively rooting for Sebastian to lose some of his cases. The fact that all the cops were over the top corrupt didn’t help any at all. Plus Sebastian came across as a knock off of Michael Connelly’s Mickey Haller character, and that certainly didn’t help matters at all since I love Mickey.