Aux trousses de Gotti

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.

It was pretty kewl. Saw it back in the day watching again.

Lorraine Bracco spends about twenty years of her prosecutorial career trying to take down the Gambino crime family, and John Gotti, who dominates her neighborhood of Ozone Park.

I have a friend who grew lived as a child in Ozone Park in the 1970s and 1980s, and everyone knew what was going on, but could do nothing about it. This 'view from the top' movie shows Miss Bracco in conference with dozens of old, fat government men, and finally at trial. The production tries to keep a cold tone, despite occasionally swooping camera shots in the court room and dark organ music, but the result is that it looks like a superficial effort, concentrating more on showing Miss Bracco as tightly wound than on anything that seems to bear on the actual issues. There is no effort made to make clear the impact of these crimes; a man who runs a fruit store complains of paying protection; a thief who comes to Tony Denison, who plays Gotti, with a cut that's not large enough, is beaten; but there's no overt showing of harm to the public, just an impassioned speech by Miss Bracco in which she complains that people think of Gotti when it comes to Italians, and not Verdi.

This is really the dumbest, most offensive Canadian made for tv feeling piece of garbage I have seen in a long time.

I seriously wonder how anyone was sucked into this. Anthony John Denison is a real actor, which he proved during Crime Story. Here, he is lost in some kind of schlock that came out in the same year as The Bell Curve, and it shows. Racist, offensive, ignorant of boardroom culture or police procedure, filled with error. James Henerson should be immolated on a pile of his own manuscripts. Fortunately, "Getting Gotti" (1994), was followed in 1996 by another tv movie, "Gotti", with Armand Assante, which avoids most of the pitfalls of this atrocity, if you need your fill with mob drama, see Donnie Brasco, it's tv series "Falcone", or even The Godfather I and II if you're feeling nostalgic.

Avoid like the plague.

Lorraine Bracco is brilliant in her performance as Diane Giacalone, the New York Assistant Attorney who gets on the case of the Mafia boss, John Gotti.

She rails against the romanticization of the Mafia's image in movies and fiction, furious at the portrayal of godfathers and that Italy, who gave the world Michaelangelo, Verdi, Puccini and da Vinci now has to bear the responsibility of these useless criminal half-wits who can't earn a living without hitting people.

Anthony John Denison is also good as the thug Gotti, and Ellen Burstyn is great as her ill mother. The entire cast is outstanding in this fact based drama which outlines the battle between Giacalone and Gotti.

The only weakness is the portrayal of an out of control court with the noticeable lack of objections to the noise and contempt shown by a passive judge.

And the ending. Weak.

Worth seeing.

6 out of 10.