Frank Nitti: The Enforcer

This was an excellent, absorbing, heartrending flick. I don't understand why LaPaglia never includes it in his filmography when doing print interviews. It was great and a great introduction for him to U.S. audiences.

"Nitti" covered Frank's rise and fall and tragic end in the Mafia organization of (if I remember correctly) the 1920's and '30's. What was especially interesting to me was how well the film showed the dichotomy of the gangster as ruthless "company" man and devoted, loving family man. Both aspects of Nitti were well drawn. LaPaglia, in what I believe was his American debut, still babyfaced and fresh, was especially chilling because of that freshfaced aspect. One didn't expect his Nitti character to act as a horrifying nasty man. On the other hand, the loving scenes with his wife and small child were sweet and touching and absolutely believable.

If you see this film in your dead-of-afternoon or late-night listings please make it a must see. As I said before, it is a really good flick.

This is an interesting story about the man who were known as Capone's right hand but wasn't he more than that? The story skips some parts of his life that could have been explored better if they weren't crammed into a 95 minute TV film. This could have been an excellent movie with a better supporting cast and the directing could also have been polished some. Anthony LaPaglia does an excellent job in this. I think he has many sides to him other than the lawyer in the TV series (he also performs outstandingly in the movie "Phoenix"). I rated this one 6/10 >

I turned this on only to have something to watch while exercising. Although my routine ended before the movie did, I taped it to watch later. I was very surprised at how well-made and interesting it turned out to be. I can't add much to the other excellent reviews but it's definitely worth viewing if a person is even vaguely interested in the subject matter.

I found this more enjoyable to watch than the Untouchables movie (not TV show, which was way better) with its lofty cast of Costner, De Niro, Connery, et. al. Whoever played Capone obviously couldn't act though. Plot could have went smoother.

I believe that this made-for-TV-biopic was Anthony LaPaglia's first major leading role on screen - and what a great start! The film is beautifully made and acted by all throughout. As has been already mentioned it is illuminating to see a member of the mafia being depicted as a truly caring husband and father, thus making the scene concerning the death of his wife intensely poignant - LaPaglia is always streets ahead of most other actors in putting over the deeper emotional aspects of a character and here in this role he excels. I assume the story keeps basically to the truth though as a Brit I'm not totally au fait with the intricacies of Nitti's life. I think anyone interested in the US mafioso and who found "The Untouchables" film and the old TV series enjoyable but a little far-fetched would thoroughly enjoy and appreciate this incarnation. For any LaPaglia fan out there I would have to say that this film definitely falls into the category of compulsory and compulsive viewing!!