This movie is not bad, but very limited. It does have several great actors in it that are enjoyable to watch. Some classic mob actors before they were classic mob actors. And the acting is mostly good. There's a couple times it's not so good, and there's some over-acting. But generally speaking the acting is one of the enjoyable things for this film. And it seemed to be genuinely like how the people they are portraying behaved. At least for the most part.
However, there are some major issues with this movie. The writing and storytelling is quite lacking. They take too much time taking artistic liberty. There are too many monologues and soliloquies, and dialogues as well, that may not have happened exactly that way. There are some times where armond assante does not seem exactly like Gotti. And while that is something that happens in any film, and doesn't always have to be a bad thing, it is when the film ends up not being as authentic and true to the real story as it ought to be. And when time spent on these artistic liberties detracts from real facts being told. It's 2 hours long, and yet somehow due to all of the talking, a lot of key elements of the story are left out. And not only is the movie more boring because of it, its less historically accurate that it should be for a film that is supposed to be a biography of someone.
For instance, and here's where spoilers will start. The film doesn't show Gotti's beginnings. Doesn't show him coming up to be captain. It starts with him as captain. So thats most of his life missing right there. There's no origin story. No character development. No history.
The movie is not instantly very engaging either, so I'm not sure what they were skipping ahead for. You don't feel like you are really getting involved in Gotti's life as much as you should. You can't, you just aren't given enough details. And when certain key events happen in the story line, there's often not enough details there either. And parts of the story end up being missing.
Like any of Johns businesses and where his money comes from, besides drugs. It literally shows you NOTHING of his criminal enterprises. It is supposed to be painting a picture of him as a professional organized criminal who will become boss of one biggest most powerful mafia family...but well...it doesn't!
The character is very one dimensional actually.
You also do not see as many hits as you should. Some important ones too. Like Roy Demeo's, even though he is mentioned a couple times. I feel like if you are going to bring him up you should at least make it worth the reference. Anyone who knows the name is going to want to hear more. But thats not so bad...And in the end in court there's a lot of hits listed that never were shown. Why not?
What is really bad is when they don't even give the full story of the Paul Castellano hit. For one, they don't show much planning and prep and build up to something that is such a huge event. They don't show Gotti talking to the other captains about it. And then they don't even show how Big Paul actually drove up next to Gotti before the hit and didn't see him and Gotti and The Bull almost started shooting then and there. The event was actually more suspenseful and there was more to it than the movie shows you. Which is not right.
And then it doesn't show how Gotti smoothed things over with the commission afterwards, which would have been helpful and was pretty important.
It also doesn't show the full significance of the car bombing, which is against the rules and never happens.
It doesn't show anything about his relationship with his son, in fact his son isn't even in the film.
And last but not least it doesn't show sammy's full motivations for turning rat and that John had actually asked him to take the fall. And Sammy didn't want to.
There's some other more minor details missing too that could have made the film better but its not worth listing all of them, I think you get teh picture with the major ones.
And keep in mind that this was made in 1996 so it's too early to tell you anything that happened after his trial and sentencing. It doesn't show you what happened upon appeal. Him running things from his cell and then naming his son boss. His death. Etc. Can't blame the film for that of course. But still. These are all reasons why you might just want to watch an hour long documentary instead of this 2 hour long boring movie full of superfluous talking.
And the production value isn't exactly great either. I mean it is a TV movie.
So because it has good actors and acting and was somewhat enjoyable, but was altogether seriously lacking, I am giving it a 4.
However, there are some major issues with this movie. The writing and storytelling is quite lacking. They take too much time taking artistic liberty. There are too many monologues and soliloquies, and dialogues as well, that may not have happened exactly that way. There are some times where armond assante does not seem exactly like Gotti. And while that is something that happens in any film, and doesn't always have to be a bad thing, it is when the film ends up not being as authentic and true to the real story as it ought to be. And when time spent on these artistic liberties detracts from real facts being told. It's 2 hours long, and yet somehow due to all of the talking, a lot of key elements of the story are left out. And not only is the movie more boring because of it, its less historically accurate that it should be for a film that is supposed to be a biography of someone.
For instance, and here's where spoilers will start. The film doesn't show Gotti's beginnings. Doesn't show him coming up to be captain. It starts with him as captain. So thats most of his life missing right there. There's no origin story. No character development. No history.
The movie is not instantly very engaging either, so I'm not sure what they were skipping ahead for. You don't feel like you are really getting involved in Gotti's life as much as you should. You can't, you just aren't given enough details. And when certain key events happen in the story line, there's often not enough details there either. And parts of the story end up being missing.
Like any of Johns businesses and where his money comes from, besides drugs. It literally shows you NOTHING of his criminal enterprises. It is supposed to be painting a picture of him as a professional organized criminal who will become boss of one biggest most powerful mafia family...but well...it doesn't!
The character is very one dimensional actually.
You also do not see as many hits as you should. Some important ones too. Like Roy Demeo's, even though he is mentioned a couple times. I feel like if you are going to bring him up you should at least make it worth the reference. Anyone who knows the name is going to want to hear more. But thats not so bad...And in the end in court there's a lot of hits listed that never were shown. Why not?
What is really bad is when they don't even give the full story of the Paul Castellano hit. For one, they don't show much planning and prep and build up to something that is such a huge event. They don't show Gotti talking to the other captains about it. And then they don't even show how Big Paul actually drove up next to Gotti before the hit and didn't see him and Gotti and The Bull almost started shooting then and there. The event was actually more suspenseful and there was more to it than the movie shows you. Which is not right.
And then it doesn't show how Gotti smoothed things over with the commission afterwards, which would have been helpful and was pretty important.
It also doesn't show the full significance of the car bombing, which is against the rules and never happens.
It doesn't show anything about his relationship with his son, in fact his son isn't even in the film.
And last but not least it doesn't show sammy's full motivations for turning rat and that John had actually asked him to take the fall. And Sammy didn't want to.
There's some other more minor details missing too that could have made the film better but its not worth listing all of them, I think you get teh picture with the major ones.
And keep in mind that this was made in 1996 so it's too early to tell you anything that happened after his trial and sentencing. It doesn't show you what happened upon appeal. Him running things from his cell and then naming his son boss. His death. Etc. Can't blame the film for that of course. But still. These are all reasons why you might just want to watch an hour long documentary instead of this 2 hour long boring movie full of superfluous talking.
And the production value isn't exactly great either. I mean it is a TV movie.
So because it has good actors and acting and was somewhat enjoyable, but was altogether seriously lacking, I am giving it a 4.