Carlito's Way
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Movie Reviews of Carlito's Way
Movie Review: The movie was great and the actors were spectaculor !
Summary: 5 Stars
awesome movie ! I think they should be rewarded much moreMovie Review: Al Pacino in his standard, but excellent, role
Summary: 4 Stars
Summary:Carlito Brigante (Al Pacino) is an ex-drug lord that has recently been released early from a 30-year sentence because his lawyer, Kleinfeld (Sean Penn), found a loophole. Now that he's out and aging he has decided to retire from the criminal world and become a legitimate business man, pursuing a dream to escape New York and move to the Caribbean where a role in a business venture awaits him. However, Carlito's past hasn't given him permission to let it go. He has to many friends, pseudo-friends, and enemies to get away that easily.
But ironically it is his friendship with the man that freed him, Kleinfeld, that ends up causing him the most trouble; Kleinfeld is a thieving cocaine addict who has betrayed too many people. Not knowing the best way to get himself out of the trouble, he enlists Carlito to help him, who does against the advice of his renewed love interest, Gail (Penelope Ann Miller), who was going to escape to the Caribbean with him. Kleinfeld screws things up and now he and Carlito are wanted men. Kleinfeld doesn't really have a chance, but Carlito does. But there are a lot of people that don't want him to leave town and are willing to risk quite a bit to prevent it.
My Comments:
Somewhat following the Godfather tradition, Al Pacino delivers a great performance in this film. But the even better performer is Sean Penn. Penn is, as always, a very convincing dopehead. He is a great character actor, especially when the character is a druggy. Also good is John Leguizamo whose role as Benny Blanco turns out to be of primary importance.
The story is convincing, well-written, and makes logical sense. You find yourself continually rooting for Carlito to truly pursue his dream and get out of Dodge, but it is repeatedly delayed and as the movie continues you begin to realize that Carlito's chances of leaving for the Caribbean are dwindling. Apparently connections to the underworld of crime are difficult to kill, which is good reason not to get involved in the first place, but the movie begins with Carlito having already been involved so now he just has to try to escape.
Overall, the movie is entertaining. There is a bit of nudity, limited to women's breasts and semi-discrete sex scenes, so if that is a concern you may want to skip it. Perhaps the producer and casting agent did so intentionally to build off his Godfather fame, but Al Pacino is great in this role, not surprisingly, and if you are a fan of Al Pacino or gangster movies this is definitely one to see.
Movie Review: A Great Film
Summary: 4 Stars
The amazing Al Pacino plays Puerto Rican drug lord Carlito Brigante in this stylish Brian De Palma film. Parolled after serving 5 years of a 30 year prison term, thanks to a legal technicality exploited by his lawyer friend Dave Kleinfeld (Sean Penn), Carlito vows to go strait, returning to his old neighborhood. Things aren't how they used to be as Carlito discovers, and he must try to find a way to make an honest living. But his old neighborhood crowd haven't forgotten him, and soon he finds himself involved in a drug deal gone bad. Carlito is determined to stay clean, and seeks refuge running a popular night club, hoping to quietly raise the $70,000 he needs to realize his dream of renting cars in the Carribean. He also looks up his old girlfriend Gail (Pennelope Anne Miller), a jaded but hopeful stripper who is Carlito's one true friend and confidant. Try as he may to stay out of trouble, he can't avoid his old habits. His loyalties to his sleazy lawyer friend Kleinfeld, and his contempt for the young punks who have taken his place in the drug trade prove to be his downfall, and he must risk everything to make it out alive. The performances are fantastic, particularly from Penn as the coked-out lawyer who is in way over his head, and by John Leguizamo in a small but pivotal role as Benny Blanco, a young "wannabe wiseguy". De Palma successfully blends style, action and drama, anchored by Pacino's solid performance. The camera-work is terriffic, and the final shootout at Grand Central Station is a thrilling climax. We ultimately learn the lesson that our past sometimes catches up with us, and that the street "never forgets". A great movie.Movie Review: The Law Of The Streets
Summary: 4 Stars
Wow!!! This movie was GREAT! I first saw this film when it came out in 1993 and I really didnt understand it but I just got done watching it and it was just terrific Al Pacino was great and so was Sean Penn and so was Penelope Ann Miller they all work so well together on screen and Brian De Palma has made in my opinion yet another classic. I've only seen one other movie by him "SCAR FACE" but they are both so well made I can't say what one was better all I can say is this is one of Al Pacino's best work and it still proves to me that he is one of the great actors of our time. The movie starts great right from the start.. Sprung from prison on a legal technicality by his cocaine- addled attorney (Sean Penn), former drug kingpin Carlito Brigante (pacino) stuns the local underworld when he vows to go stright. taking a job managing a glitzy , low-life nightclub, he tracks down his onetime girlfriend (Penelope Ann Miller) and rekindles their romance, promising he's changed for good. But Carlito's dream or going to legitimate is undermined at every turn by a murderous former cronies and even deadlier young thugs out to make a name for themselves. Untimately, however, his most dangerous enemy is himself. Despite good intentions, Carlito's misguided loyalties and outmoded code of "HONOR" will plunge him into a savage life-or-death battle against the relentless forces that refuse to let him go.Movie Review: De Palma has his way...
Summary: 4 Stars
Typically excellent direction, committed acting and a well-proven storyline make Carlito's Way a film that you won't be disappointed with. The all to familiar "bad guy wants to go straight - but one fling" plot has become almost a genre in itself over recent years, but Brian De Palma's vision helps to create a moody, stylish and tense thriller out of an already worn theme. De Palma's direction and camerawork are as superior as ever, and the fiercely conceived chase scene that ends in Grand Central Station is reminiscent of De Palma's earlier The Untouchables.Performances are of high quality too, but what else would you expect from Al Pacino? Sean Penn is great as the corrupt lawyer, but almost unrecognisable in "70's" styles. As a complete package, a very solid and satisfying film, though I recommend it is watched wide screen - De Palma's love for the camera means he utilises the full frame constantly - and it's conversion to full screen is quite shocking, distorting the presence of many camera shots.