Donnie Brasco Film Review

Advantages: Pacino and Depp
Disadvantages: Story

...'Donnie Brasco' was the name given to undercover FBI agent Joe Pistone, who spent six years infiltrating the New York City mob in the 1970s. His work led to over two-hundred indictments and over one-hundred convictions of Mafia members. Based on a true story, the film stars Johnny Depp as Pistone and Al Pacino as 'Lefty'. Lefty is a two-bit mafia member struggling for recognition, while Donnie is posing as a diamond expert in hope that he can worm his way into mob headquarters. They start working together and become good friends. The boss, Dominick "Sonny Black" Napolitano (Michael Madsen), notices that Donnie is a trustworthy candidate and elevates his status within his crew, while Lefty is continually neglected, unable to make enough money. All the time this is happening, the criminal underworld is being secretly monitored...

andycarrington 17.07.2009 · Read review
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Review of Donnie Brasco (DVD)

Chinese Cinderella by Adeline Yen Mah

Advantages: It's a beutiful and tragic story, your constantly feeling sympathy towards her and feel lucky that you weren't brought up like that.
Disadvantages: It's makes you feel really down although it is very interesting.

...This book was one of the best I have ever come across. It is Adeline Yen Mah's tragic life, her very sad biography, how she was bought up to feel like she had no existence and very unwanted. The story starts off by telling us about Adelin's birth, born the fifth child to an affluent Chinese family her life begins tragically. Adeline?s mother died shortly after her birth due to complications bought on by the delivery, and in Chinese culture this marks her as cursed or ?bad luck?. This situation is enforced on her so much that when her father?s new marriage took place to a lady who has little affection for her husband?s five children. She displayed overt antagonism and distrust towards all of the children, particularly Adeline, whilst favoring her own younger son and daughter born soon after the marriage. The book outlines...

moo_trendy_cow 15.07.2004 · Read review
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Review of Chinese Cinderella - Adeline Yen Mah

FREE DVDs

Advantages: Free trial, large choice, post included,new realeases
Disadvantages: see review

...I like movies and I like freebies, so when you get offered both in one swoop you?re bound to accept! I used my two week free trial with this company and remained with them for a couple of monthsbefore moving on to try many other companies free trials (and winning a new DVD player on Tesco DVD rental site on their free trial offer). I then had an email from DVDs 365 asking me to go back, and offering me a free DVD if I did so. I had just left Tesco (with my new DVD player) so I chose to go back with them. ∆◊◊ THE SERVICE THEY OFFER ∆◊◊ Basically it?s like going to a video shop and hiring films on DVD, except you don?t pay for each film you chose ? rather a monthly fee for which you can watch as many movies as you can fit in, for us this is usually around 8 a month (2 a week usually weekends...

dabmim 15.11.2004 · Read review
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Wake up, Donnie!

Advantages: compelling, great performance by Gyllenhaal.
Disadvantages: complex. Hard to take it all in.

...I am a person who cannot resist a bargain. Thats why I bought a copy of Donnie Darko. I was able to pick up a copy for three quid, and to me at least, thats a real find. Now, unfortunately I also have a wife, who is very much "if it's not a romcom, I'm not watching it!". Therefore, it took me until a few weeks ago to get round to watching it. I don't know what I expected from the film. Reviews my friends had given me were mixed. I guessed it was a love it or hate it film. Anyway, I sat down in my living room, with the lights off, and a bottle of red, and loads of munchies. The menu screen popped up, and my immediate thought was "this looks a wee bit sparse.". The options you had were, basically to watch the movie, or to select a scene from the movie. For me, that is not a problem, as the extras on a dvd tend to bore the crap out...

giksy21 09.01.2009 · Read review
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Review of Donnie Darko (Vanilla Version) (DVD)

Wake Up Donnie

Advantages: Stylish, atmospheric, clever, well acted+supported.
Disadvantages: A few loose ends for some

...Donnie Darko Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Jena Malone, Drew Barrymore, Mary McDonell, Katherine Ross, Patrick Swayze and Noah Wyle. Direction: Richard Kelly Rating: 15, some sexual references and swearing. Duration: 108 minutes. Released: 2001 I will start my thoughts on this film by cutting to the chase and stating emphatically that this movie is simply sensational. It is like nothing else you will ever see, quite often movies like this are regarded as cult films and are difficult to categorise - very true in this films case. This is my favourite movie of alltime and I will try and explain why you may like it too. This movie is the directorial debut from Richard Kelly, cost only $4.5 million to make and has made a loss at the U.S and U.K box offices. Don't let those facts persuade you into pre-judging a modern classic...

WormThatTurned 26.05.2003 · Read review
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Review of Donnie Darko (DVD)

Emotional biography of Adeline Yen Mah.

Advantages: True story.Enjoyable read. Very interesting
Disadvantages: Very emotional which can be a bit upsetting.

...I recently read this book at part of a school project. I enjoyed it thoroughly and once I had started reading it was difficult to put down. The book is a sad and emotional biography by Adeline Yen Mah. Adeline?s mother tragically died because of complication?s with Adeline?s birth. Her father blamed Adeline for the death and considered her to be bad luck. Her father then re-married and had 2 more children with his new wife, Niang. Niang treated her own children well and they got whatever they wanted but for Adeline and the rest of her siblings they could only eat at certain times and only had a few clothes and got last pick in everything. The only members of her family who she feels close to is her Grandfather, Ye-Ye and her Aunt Baba. Ye-Ye later dies and Adeline isn?t told about the death until she was on the way to his funeral...

lulu_111 20.03.2005 · Read review
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Review of Chinese Cinderella - Adeline Yen Mah

Surprising Picture Quality - Panasonic DVD-S54

Advantages: Incredible picture quality when compared to my old non-upscaling player with a scart lead
Disadvantages: Sometimes disc drive can be really noisy when DVD's initially load.

...At first I wasn't convinced by up-scaling DVD player technology but was persuaded after reading an article in "What Hi-Fi? Sound and Vision" magazine. Unable to afford a Blu-Ray player my sister and I bought the Panasonic DVD-S54 to match our parents brand new Panasonic TX-32LZD80 LCD television as their Christmas 2008 present. Admittedly it was a slightly selfish purchase as we both live at home and wanted to watch DVDs on the big new TV ourselves! We bought the player from the electrical retailer Comet for about £100 just before Christmas so there were no discounts applied. On Christmas day when opened we found a relatively small box tightly packed with the player in polystyrene packaging. All the components such as cables, remote and manuals were well presented in their own protective plastic bags, to keep them protected. The player...

bobbacon985 12.02.2009 · Read review
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Review of Panasonic DVD-S54

That's one big scary rabbit - Donnie Darko

Advantages: Refreshingly dark and surreal
Disadvantages: It's a mad world

...I just watched the strangest DVD. It is called Donnie Darko and it tells the story of a quite pleasant nutcase (Jake Gyllenhaal) after whom the film is named. Donnie lives in an upper-middle class American home with his parents and two sisters. Although their arguments over the dinner table make them seem rather like many normal families we soon learn that in fact Donnie is on medication for a mental condition. He suffers from what appear to be hallucinations involving a man in a rabbit costume and goes out late at night to sleep in odd places like at the golf course. A jet engine falls from the sky and destroys his bedroom so he is actually lucky to be out. He smiles to himself a fair amount and looks as if he knows and sees more than those around him. His psychiatrist has quite a puzzle to unravel as he starts a very specific...

FlameDruid 03.11.2004 · Read review
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Review of Donnie Darko (DVD)

Donnie Darko? What the hell kind of name is that?

Advantages: A fantastically unique and compelling film
Disadvantages: Needs to be watched multiple times in order to gain a full understanding

...Having heard good things about this film, when I spotted it in HMV for just £2.99 some time ago, I just had to pick this one up and check it out for myself. When I bought it I did wonder just why the film was so cheap, however once getting it home and putting it in the player it soon dawned on me that there are no extras whatsoever with this edition unless you include 'Scene Selection'. I had never come across this in a DVD before so was quite shocked to find this, however at the same time it did explain why it had such a low original mark up at just £5.99 and it didn't really bother me at all as a lot of the time the extras that DVDs have to offer just don't seem to interest me. With a comment from Empire magazine on the back stating that this was "A wonderful beautifully twisted masterpiece" giving the film 5 stars out of 5, and from...

RazzaLazza 20.11.2006 · Read review
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Review of Donnie Darko (Vanilla Version) (DVD)

"Donnie Darko, Sounds like some sorta Superhero"

Advantages: makes you think, brilliant film
Disadvantages: Chris Moyles hates it

...I listened to radio one this morning, as I often do before going to school. Chris Moyles proceeded to tell listeners that he had seen Donnie Darko. He told them it was complete rubbish, then did a quick poll. I was much relieved when the poll was 75% in favour of the film. This review is written to try and put right what Chris said! Not enough people have seen this film. I only saw it because it went round our 6th form common room, one person bought it and recommended it, so loaned it to everyone in turn. I then went and paid for it myself! instead of being a cheapskate. Though on the inside there is a note from the director. It almost sounds like he's on his knees thanking you for buying the movie! Quite a put off, but still, a great movie! This is another film I think is great. If you read my reviews, you'll find I often say...

C_W_Monkey 11.03.2004 · Read review
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Review of Donnie Darko (DVD)