10th & Wolf (2006)


James Marsden
Giovanni Ribisi
Brad Renfro
Piper Perabo
Brian Dennehy
Leslie Ann Warren
Dennis Hopper
Tommy Lee
Val Kilmer

Directed by Robert Moresco

Plot: Based on the true-life accounts of FBI Special Agent Joseph D. Pistone, otherwise known as "Donnie Brasco," the story of Marine Sgt. Tommy Santoro, who in 1991, thought he had left behind his family's ties to organized crime. Returning home to South Philly, he faces the biggest moral dilemma of his life as he reconnects with his brother, Vincent, and cousin Joey, who both have become something he vowed never to be--mobsters. His homecoming turns him into something much worse.

Review: I really loved Donnie Brasco, so this film caught my eye. I didn’t have high expectations of this movie, but figured it had a good cast and couldn’t be horrible. What I got was mixed emotions.

The film as a whole is ok. The story is nothing original, but decent. The performances were decent, but again nothing special. I enjoyed the gangster/mob aspect and thought it was handled well. The action in the film was well done and fit in nicely. My biggest issue was the use of some of the actors. Big selling names such as Val Kilmer and Dennis Hopper are barely even in this movie and wasted. Giovanni Ribisi is the only person in this movie I felt gave a great performance, everyone else either didn’t fit the part or phoned it in. It was good to see James Marsden in something other than X-Men, but I feel he still needs some grooming to get to that good actor status. Overall the film was a good rental, but doesn’t live up to the claim of being based on anything related to Donnie Brasco, whether it be the movie or his real life.

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