Getting Gotti (1994)

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.

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.

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...)