Getting Gotti (1994)

Very disappointing...

Just perfect...

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties.

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.

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.

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?