Though she grew up in the same neighborhood with him, the new Assistant U.S. Attorney is determined to prosecute Mafia boss John Gotti. Uncooperative FBI agents and bureaucrats will not deter the driven young prosecutor as her quest culminates in the memorable and controversial trial of the "Dapper Don."
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Reviews
I know that Lorraine Bracco is supposed to be giving a "gutsy" performance in this but overall, all she does is stomp around the screen and shout at people. It's almost laughable at times.I also got confused at the first part of the movie, Lorraine Bracco's character shows up for work on her first day in the DA's office and in the next scene two years have gone past. The rest of the movie isn't actually that bad, It's not factual or anything but it is interesting to get a view in the mafia and legal worlds. It's a shame that Lorraine Bracco ruins the movie with her awful performance.
Although one does not have to know the entire history of the mafia and its godfathers to enjoy this film, it portrays a quasi-fictional episode in the life of one of its leaders, John Gotti, played by Anthony John Denison. I thought he was quite good, and styled to resemble the man effectively. The supporting characters, (many who have taken on roles in television's long- running blockbuster, "The Sopranos"), all lend credence to the episodic pursuit by one female prosecutor, Diane Giacalone,(Lorraine Bracco). It builds on many well-known criminal figures, particularly, Sammy, "The Bull", Gravano's turncoat testimony. This is not a documentary, per se, but an outsider's view of what the real female prosecutor, Diane Giacalone, must have experienced in her quest. There are updates in the closing credits, but none late enough to eulogize Gott's final demise from cancer, while incarcerated.
Watched it on encore's "true stories" channel... that's exactly what this movie is... A STORY! Events that transpired in the movie conflict with every book I've read on Gotti/Castellano/the Gambino crime family... (and I've read every one I could get my hands on...) It was a decent movie, but should not be billed as "factual", thus it received from me a low (4) vote. (Castellano never attended Delacroce's funeral... Gotti was not pursued so eagerly until after Castellano's murder... relationship as depicted between Gotti and Gravano before murder @ Sparks did not exist...)
The biggest problem I saw with this made for television movie about John Gotti, is that Anthony John Denison looks nothing like him. I saw a guy on a Tropicana commercial who looked more like Gotti, than he did. If you're going to make any movie about a high profile figure, please, choose an actor who looks the part, not just has a big name. For example, if you were to choose between John Vernon, and Luke Perry for the role of Herrmann Goering,...isn't the choice obvious?