Wasted Talent

I loved A Bronx Tale and thought this documentary might be one-sided in favor of Lillo Brancato. However, the director did an excellent job presenting both perspectives, including insights from those close to Lillo and the NYPD officers involved in the tragic incident. I highly recommend this documentary.

It's heartbreaking to see such talent go to waste. Lillo's story is a tragic one, but it's well worth watching. It's a powerful reminder of life's unpredictability and the consequences of our choices. Watch it to believe it! The depth of storytelling truly captivates and leaves a lasting impact.

The story of Lilo Brancato is well known to most people. The actors was most famous was his role as Robert Deniro's son in A Bronx Tale. His descent into drug abuse would ruin his career and lead to the death of a NYC police officer. He served over 8 years for Robbery but escaped the more serious charge of murder. His companion was the shooter and while he was a participant in the crime he wasn't charged. This doc directed by a former cop turned film maker and I use that term lightly is terrible. He has no sense of editing ,interviews are way too long. Some of the people you scratch your head trying to figure our what are they doing in this film. Brancato has been trying to restart his career , something I Believe is never going to happen . One of the people interviewed actually states maybe he'll win an academy award one day. Brancato has turned his life around since his release . He attends NA meetings, but he will never be able to live down this crime that led to the death of an off duty police officer. He definitely should have worked with a better group of people to tell his story. The film is amateurish at best. One repeated sequence with Brancato on a couch has some guy off to the right adjusting a camera while sitting on the floor it's all very strange. I'd love to know whet the director was trying to achieve with this. Its worth a look if your interested in the story of Brancato but be warned the film is terrible . Its only redeeming quality is the length which is only 66 minutes. I get a sense in interviews he has given that he doesn't feel responsible for the cops death. Facts are you go to your friends house who always supplied you with drugs. Unknown to you who had died months earlier. You break a window attempting to get in to the apt . The neighbor an off duty cop comes out confronts you both with his gun drawn is shot dead by your buddy and you don't think your responsible .You Certainly Are !!!!!

What a mess. This overall story is a mess. A complete mess. I am not here to share my opinion on whether or not he is guilty or not guilty. I would rather review the documentary overall. I thought the story could have been laid out better. It bounces around from A Bronx Tale, to heroin usage, and then recovery. It's all extremely odd the way it flows. And then the documentary is centered around a group of friends, so being former addicts themselves, trying to clear the name of the main subject. I think that's where the documentary goes wrong. It's not enough interesting content about the character to really hold the viewers attention.

Wasted Talent excels in authenticity. It tells the compelling story of a young, highly gifted actor whose career is derailed by the pitfalls of fame and poor decisions, triggering a series of devastating consequences.

This beautifully captures the redemption of someone who, blessed with a second chance, uses it to make positive changes-not just for themselves but for others around them. It's particularly enlightening to hear the diverse and genuine perspectives of those involved in the actor's life, providing a deeper understanding of the events and paving the way for healing. This documentary offers a raw and real look into the darker side of celebrity and the light that can emerge from its shadows."

Lillo Brancato is a person whose story I am familiar with, and wanted to know a little better. I'm only a half an hour in and already it's going back and forth in time between the crime, and the story of his early life, and how he got the role in "Bronx Tale". There's an interview with a former correspondent with CNN that was not only poorly placed but went on about 5 minutes too long. Also for some strange reason there's a guy who looks like a male model changing the focus on a still camera crouched behind Lilo the whole way through. Extremely odd choice.. obviously a friend or relative of the cop director; it's very off-putting and for whatever reason they constantly include him in the 2-shot every time they show Brancato being interviewed by the director. It's only 67 minutes, but I'm bailing at 43 now.