Confused Alot!

[Piratesmeeper]

Okay, that movie was long and confusing. He was super hot in it...obnce the mustache was gone anyway. But I understood that he was in the FBI as an undercover agent to investigate the mafia. But I was copying down a JD filmography during the first few minutes. So what was up with the jewel thing and him knowing it was fake and how did him and Al Pacino become such good friends so quickly and why were they in Florida ad who the hell was Sonny Black? HELP!

[The Fearless Fiend]

I hope Bella won't mind me trying to help you out, PW. You don't, do you, Bella? Feel free to correct me if I get anything wrong. It's more than likely.

Donnie Brasco is the story of a man, FBI Agent Joesph D. Pistone who goes undercover in the Mafia in the 1970s. His undercover name is Donnie Brasco. His cover, ie his job as Donnie Brasco is a jewel thief. Al Pacino's character Lefty goes to Donnie Brasco as he a jewel thief and a dealer of jewels to get his opinion on a diamond someone gave to him as payment. Donnie is immediately able to see that this diamond is fake and does Lefty a favor by getting the guy who gave him the diamond to give him his Porsch instead. That goes a long way to making them friends. Also, Lefty admires Donnie's knowledge and skills at intimidation. He invites him to hang out with a lot of other Mafia members in his group where they meet Sonny Black, played by Michael Madsen. He is another Mafia member, but further up in the chain of command than anyone else, including Lefty eventually.

They were in Florida, because Joe, meeting with other FBI agents, was told to go down there as Donnie Brasco with his Mafia friends and help out another undercover agent's operation.

I can't explain it all to you by writing it out, so my suggestion would be to watch it again without copying the JD filmography this time. Hope this helped a least a little.

I'm sure when Bella comes back she'll do a much better job than I did, but still my suggestion is just to watch the movie again, OR read the book upon which it was based, Donnie Brasco by Joesph D. Pistone. It's an excellent book.

-The Fiend & Piggy

[F. Bella Incognita]

Aww, no worries, PW, I was a little confused the first time I saw it, too. ;D I'll try and clear things up a bit more for you, but thanks so much FF! Your summary was brilliant. I doubt I'll be able to do better.

In the beginning of DB, as FF said, Joe Pistone aka Donnie Brasco is posing as a jewel thief. He has been survelling members of the Bonnano Family (the Mafia "group" in which Lefty and the other wiseguys in the film belong to) for some time, and is slowly trying to get into their little circle so he can investigate further. He hangs out at a regular bar so the wiseguys will notice him. Lefty inquires to his pal Nicky who Donnie is, and Nicky explains he's a jewel thief.

The next day, Lefty goes to Donnie and asks him to meddle a diamond ring for him that's worth $8,000. Donnie, however, immediately recognizes it as a fake and they drive over to the guy who sold Lefty the ring. Donnie eventually beats the guy up into giving Lefty his porcshe.

On the drive back to the city, Lefty checks Donnie's car for a recording wire that could spot if he's a cop, but he finds none, and soon he begins to trust Donnie and their friendship begins to take form. Lefty soon hints to Donnie to meet up with him the next day, so he can dig up some dirt on him and introduce him to some other wiseguys.

Eventually, Donnie becomes a valued half-assed wiseguy (meaning a "connected guy;" someone who aspires to be a wiseguy but, for the time being, only has good connections).

When one of the bosses of The Family gets "whacked" (killed), Lefty becomes furious when he realizes he hasn't been "upped" (promoted to a higher status in the Family), despite his loyalty to the Family for the last thirty years. Instead, the honor passes to Sonny Black, and he becomes a head honcho in the Brooklyn borough section of organized crime.

Sonny Black, Lefty, Donnie and the others go around doing crimes like theft and even a homicide, whilst Donnie secretly keeps up his investigation.

Soon, an FBI official from Washington wants Donnie to go to Florida to help out a fellow agent posing as a Mafia member. Donnie reluctantly agrees.

It gets complicated, but basically Donnie doesn't really like the other FBI agent much--neither does Lefty--but Lefty hopes to open up a closed bar and make it his own money-making joint. Sonny Black finds out about the plan, however, and Lefty is furious because he believes that Donnie informed Sonny about it, since Donnie was supposedly the only one who knew. Sonny opens the bar anyway, but the police soon find out it's controlled by the Mafia, and the place gets wrecked and shut down.

Sonny wants Donnie to stay in Florida and keep a business going there, and Lefty departs for New York, only to learn that his son Tony has OD'd on drugs. As soon as he hears this, Donnie rushes back to NYC despite Sonny's orders and reassures Lefty of his loyalty. Donnie soon realizes that he actually IS loyal to Lefty and becomes apprehensive to turn him in; he's also frightened by the fact that he seems to fit in very well in the Mafia world.

Back at home, Donnie's wife is becoming increasingly upset at his lack of contact with her. When he fails to show up for their daughter's first communion, she's decided she's had enough. She wants a divorce. Donnie, whoever, angrily spits at her, "You gonna leave me? Huh!? You don't leave me." And I suppose that worked, 'cause she doesn't go anywhere.

And I think you should've been able to figure out the rest. If not, just let me know, and I'll continue. ;D Hope it helps!

[Piratesmeeper]

ok....that actually helps quite a bit. Thanks very much!

[Sam's pirate]

OoO that helped me too! lol thanks!

i rented this movie with my friend, but i didn't watch it lol i will next time..i'm glad i know what its about now!!

[Piratesmeeper]

it really was good, I know you didn't watch it but you have to give it a chance....the mustache dissapppears so that's a good thing and it's a really suspenseful story and has a pretty good ending!

[The Fearless Fiend]

It is indeed a good movie and I'm glad you both were able to better understand it. *high-fives Bella* ;D

-The Fiend & Piggy

[Piratesmeeper]

I can't find it for sale anywhere.....oh wait yes I dd it was just like way to expensive...shouldn't these movies be cheeper by now...I mean they've been out for minimum two years!

[The Protective Horserider]

i just rented it..... it was definately really good!!

[Piratesmeeper]

indeedy

[The Capricious Capodecina]

ahhhh i bought this movie yesterday at walmart for only $9!! i havent actually ever seen it but i bought it anyway...lol and i LOVED it!! definately one of my favs now.

And surprisingly i dint really get confused...i understood everything. which is usually unlikely! ;D

[Piratesmeeper]

waaaaa.... I want it..I was totally confused...sorry about the comment earlier I made, I thought I was in the thread for The Brave..about not being released in the US, lol...wow...

[Piratesmeeper]

OKay I still don't understand how they all like knew who he was or w/e and why Al pacino asked him about the diamond or whatever....oh well

[The Rolling Rooster]

hey piratesmeeper... i'll do my best to explain the movie to you.. the parts you don't understand... it's a major mob film... and therefor some of it is implyed... lefty knew that donnie was a jewel guy... and wanted to recruit him into the mafia... so he started talking about the jewels to get donnie to open up a bit...

and they knew to wack out nikki cause donnie had seen him using all that money to buy the weed... therefor they knew he was the rat....

and when the mob found out that donnie was a rat all along they wacked out lefty cause he brought donnie in!

anything else feel free to post or pm me....

[Piratesmeeper]

Wow, you sound like your straight out of the movie...