Wasted Talent

I lost interest in about five minutes. I have no idea who these people are except for Lilo Brancato. Why was an ex-NYPD officer doing a documentary about someone involved in the killing of one of his own? I couldn't get past that. I saw this as a publicity push to shine up Brancato's image and that will never happen. To be sure, many people told him as he spiraled out of control that he was wasting his talent but he CHOSE that path anyway. I want no part of his egocentric comeback. Officer Enchautegui will not have that opportunity.

Poorly made, poorly executed, poor choice of subject. I wonder who paid for this?

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.

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.

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 !!!!!

Why would this fellow who was warned multiple times, who had the foundation for success in his hands, who listened to two very accomplished actors (yes I mean Mr. Palminteri too not just Mr. De niro) working the entire time with him on the film and this little weasel decides I am going to be a big fat loser who plays with guns and hangs with cop killers and steals someone's stuff for drug money? I can understand why Mr. Palminteri didn't want anything from you, loser. You are a deceitful selfish man and sure you can play the part of a naive young man growing as a person but while you were good onscreen not a damn thing in that movie even what you read in your narration meant anything to you, not one thing. Brother, where is your loyalty?