Carlito's Way

Carlito's Way is an extrememely underated Al Pacino movie. This film is probubly the best crime story ive seen, next to Goodfellas(1990), Pacino gives another superb performance as well as the rest of the cast. The story in Carlito's Way is extremely compelling and can be very sad at times. Unlike Pacino's similar film Scarface(1983), Carlito's Way is not just a blood bath without much of a story. I dont know why this film fizzled at the box office and failed to recieve any academy award nominations because it sure deserved to. 9 out of 10.

The tragedy of Al Pacino's character Carlo Brigante is that after his shortened stretch in the joint he realizes there is a life out there beyond his gangster world and the mean streets of East Harlem. But Pacino only finds that out way too late. And like that other iconic Pacino character Michael Corleone he gets sucked right back in. In retrospect Pacino should have had a ticket for Florida waiting for him the New York minute he got out of prison.

This would be a film totally dominated by Al Pacino had it not also been for the incredible performance of Sean Penn. If in fact Penn took the role only for the bread he certainly gave the movie-going public its money's worth when they paid to see Carlito's Way. I'm surprised that he was not given Oscar consideration.

When a lot of money comes to Pacino and I won't reveal how, he buys into a nightclub with the intention of earning just enough money to set himself up in business in Florida. But in his way Pacino is a man of honor. He does owe his lawyer Penn big time. Penn in fact found a loop hole as good lawyers do and got Pacino sprung from a long rap. So when Penn asks for a favor, Pacino has to oblige.

Penn is fascinated by the life the criminals he defends lead. The easy access to money and power and women have turned him into a pleasure maddened hedonist. Some other criminals he's been the attorney for Penn has not behaved honorably to put it mildly. He asks Pacino to help him cover up that fact though Pacino does not realize it at first. It's part of the undoing of both of them. The other part is the dismissive way he treats an up and coming gangster John Leguizamo. Think of Gregory Peck and how he treats Skip Homeier. in The Gunfighter.

Penelope Ann Miller is a young dancer who is fascinated by Carlo Brigante and is drawn to him. For the audience she embodies us and our fascination. For Pacino she represents the good life he aspires to.

In character development Carlo Brigante most resembles another of Pacino's iconic parts, that of Tony Montana. But classic film fans will recognize a strong resemblance to one of Humphrey Bogart's gangster roles in The Big Shot.

If it were not for what Sean Penn gives us in Carlito's Way this would be strictly a personal Pacino work. Their scenes together in Carlito's Way are unforgettable.

"Scarface" was a great operatic film rooted in Greek tragedy, primarily the downfall of its protagonist related to his own hubris and pride. Its over-the-top theatrics and scenery-chewing acting complemented the absurdist tone of the film; some carping critics complained it was "too violent," but it was silly violence...and it worked.

"Carlito's Way" is considered by many to be a companion piece of sorts to "Scarface" - but in its own ways it is vastly different. As "GoodFellas" differed a great deal from "Casino" in its narrative methods, "Carlito's Way" isn't as broad and theatrical as "Scarface." Of course, it's still a DePalma film, and that means we get some beautiful set pieces - but for the most part DePalma avoids his excessive visuals and instead opts for a balanced mixture of both storyline and directorial flair. It is not a sequel to "Scarface" - it is an expansion, and it seems entirely apt that its narrative is more mature, considering that Carlito Brigante (the main character) is wiser than Tony Montana from "Scarface." Carlito is a Puerto Rican ex-con who gets out of a thirty-year jail sentence based on a technicality after serving a mere five years of sentence. Faced with a new life and fresh horizons, he decides to heed the lessons he learned in jail and embark on a new and honest lifestyle.

"Scarface" was Greek tragedy insofar as Tony Montana was doomed to a downfall based on his own egotism and stubbornness. Like Oedipus in Sophocles' classic story, Montana was too bull-headed to take the advice of his wife and friends and was entirely responsible for his own emotional (and, in "Scarface's" case, physical) demise.

"Carlito's Way" is the flip side of the coin. It's still Greek tragedy, but it offers a new perspective. This time, the protagonist tries to change his fate, but his life is doomed to its inevitable conclusion. Carlito tries to change his ways, but - to paraphrase a character from another film - there is only one guarantee...Carlito Brigante will never see heaven. That's the fundamental truth of this movie, and DePalma's less showy camera-work, and the more mature characterizations by the actors, and the believable script, ensure that "Carlito's Way" is an entirely human experience - far more so than "Scarface." (Which is still a great film based on its own goals.)

What can I say about such a movie? Simply brilliant. I make a point of watching this movie each year and every time I watch it I simply fall in love with it even more. The direction is brilliant as is Pacino's superb on-time acting. Al deserves an Oscar for this flick. As human beings, we love story telling. It's in out nature, and this story is excellent. As mentioned before in a previous review, Carlito's way is Scarface with feeling. Simply involving. I would dare say it does leave you on the edge of your chair with great anticipation, probably due to Pacino's on screen presence and experienced acting mannerisms. Penn, once again is brilliant and shines through as the high-classed, cocaine addicted Kleinfeld. If you have not seen this movie, do yourself a favour. Rent it out, dim the lights, snuggle up tight with your loved one and enjoy one of the greatest movies of all time. 9 out of 10.

Although being a huge fan of Brian de Palma, I somehow missed seeing "Carlito's Way" over all these years. Seeing it for the first time today, I enjoyed the film better than another of his gang classics, "Scarface". However, compared to my real favorites like "Carrie", "Dressed to Kill", "Blow Out",or"Body Double",his unique cinematic style seemed rather subdued in this one. The climax scene which reminded me of "The Untouchables" was fun, but for me, the greatest de Palma moment came in the first ten minutes when Carlito gets mixed up in a pool-room gunfight. Having said all that, Al Pacino was great, and the last shot in the movie was surprisingly moving.