Frank Nitti: The Enforcer

source: Frank Nitti: The Enforcer

Wife & I enjoyed this, found Al Capone to be depicted as a imbecile we found that off since they both had similar backgrounds. Not much to say its worth a watch if you like these old "The Untouchables" gangster type movies. Give it a watch

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!!

I say surprisingly well done because it came to the tube in less than a year after DePalma's Untouchables, which took liberties, but is still a classic. This film is risky for the time it hit television in 1988. It told Nitti's life truthfully. It's a great film...and I recommend it to anyone who likes LaPaglia or the genre!! It has a self destructive character quality: Loyalty was Nitti's downfall. The way he died possibly saved a few lives, starting with his families. Everyone knows Nitti died, but to see how, see the film.It's directed well, but the Capone character comes off like a cartoon. The actor playing Al seems WAY too dependent on Nitti. Well acted by all. Nobody can watch this and be let down.

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.

A standard biopic of the rise and fall a Chicago gangster with nothing revelatory but it looks good and the acting is decent. Anthony LaPaglia as Frank Nitto (wrongly named Nitti by a newspaper!) occasionally sounded like Marlon Brando doing a Don Corleone but that was a slight distraction from what was a solid performance. The always watchable Michael Moriarty as investigator Hugh Kelly wasn't in it much which was a shame. Overall it was interesting but not gripping, It lacked energy and as the end was shown at the beginning it had no surprises either.

Film about some of the classic gangsters of Prohibition Era Chicago. Competently done, if not flashy. Not gory. Concentrates on the emotional life of a Frank "Nitti" Nitto. Turns out, he was a coward. Maybe his conscience haunted him, as he has a discussion with a priest; about some of the bad outcomes Christianity caused. Not a bad film; not a great film. Seen on Tubi, the free streaming site, which has many films; and now, live TV.

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.

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 just watched 'Nitti-The Enforcer' on DVD. I had to then look it up on IMDb. I can't believe it's 21 years old! What a brilliant, engrossing film and an amazing, real, nuanced performance by Anthony LaPaglia. This guy is an amazing actor and seeing as he's still only 51, I think he will break through on a bigger scale soon. I certainly hope so. His Nitti is real, not like the caricature style Nittis in 'The Untouchables' (still a great film) and in the recent 'Public Enemies'. The period and placed is evoked perfectly. I just wish the film had been a bit longer than the 90 odd minutes. I will look out for his other stuff with Anthony LaPaglia in also now, brilliant actor.