Donnie Brasco (1997)

The tensest scene in Donnie Brasco is an argument over taking off a pair of boots in a Japanese restaurant, because one of them is hiding a wire. That’s the movie’s gift: no shootout matters as much as the fear of being found out. Its weak spot is home. Anne Heche plays Joe’s wife, Maggie, and their scenes are mostly the same phone fight on repeat, while his FBI bosses barely register as people. Johnny Depp is quiet and watchful, almost too closed off. But Al Pacino as Lefty is heartbreaking. He plays a small-time wiseguy who has waited decades for somebody to appreciate him, tired and proud and a little ridiculous. You’ll catch yourself rooting for a guy you shouldn’t. Michael Madsen plays Sonny Black with a cool, quiet menace, and Bruno Kirby gets some of the best comic beats. An 8.1 because it’s a crime story about loneliness and loyalty, and Pacino breaks your heart. $382 says you try using ’forget about it’ for every possible meaning this week, and nobody gets it.

What works: Al Pacino gives one of his most tender performances as Lefty, and the undercover tension stays wound tight from start to finish.

What doesn’t: The home-life scenes repeat the same argument, and Johnny Depp keeps Joe so guarded that his inner conflict is sometimes hard to see.

Who it’s for: Fans of mob movies who care more about the people than the shootouts.