Directed by:
Brian De PalmaScreenplay:
David KoeppCinematography:
Stephen H. BurumComposer:
Patrick DoyleCast:
Al Pacino, Sean Penn, Penelope Ann Miller, John Leguizamo, Ingrid Rogers, Luis Guzmán, James Rebhorn, Joseph Siravo, Viggo Mortensen, Adrian Pasdar (more)VOD (4)
Plots(1)
From the director of Scarface comes the critically acclaimed crime thriller Carlito's Way. Oscar winner Al Pacino gives on electrifying performance as former drug kingpin Carlito Brigante, who is sprung from prison by his high-powered attorney (Academy Award winner Sean Penn). He stuns the New York underworld by vowing to go straight from a history of violence, but his plans are undermined by misguided loyalties and an outmoded code of honor. In a life-or-death battle, Carlito takes on the relentless forces that refuse to let him go. Co-starring John Leguizamo and Luis Guzman, Carlito's Way is a powerful, action-packed ride all the way to its explosive conclusion. (official distributor synopsis)
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Reviews (11)
Al Pacino, Sean Penn and Brian de Palma are a guarantee of a perfect gangster movie. A beautiful story full of emotions, traitors, money, love, loyalty. This movie has balls and if you have balls too, you're guaranteed to enjoy it. It's a little short of perfection. 85%.
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One of the few gangster movies that I’ve really liked. This time the protagonist is not an insufferable arrogant criminal, but the likeable and honourable Al Pacino, someone you can root for. That’s what I miss in other similar movies and the reason why I don’t like them in general. I didn’t have this problem with Carlito’s Way and I was able to truly enjoy this good quality film. Sean Penn delivers a superb performance, I didn’t recognise him at first.
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Absolutely the best gangster film I've ever seen (and I've thoroughly enjoyed both Coppola and Scorsese). A film in which there is not a single extra scene, not a single shot is self-serving and everything fits together. Sean Penn's transformation is fascinating, but of course it's Al Pacino who gets all the attention. I maintain that Carlito Brigante is his best role. Tony Montana in Scarface was an asshole - and yet everyone was rooting for him. So with Carlito, who just got out of prison and wants nothing to do with the past, it must be the same. Unfortunately for this Puerto Rican, nothing is going nearly as well as he would like. Brian de Palma is in top form here, the final fifteen minutes at the "station" is unparalleled in the film world, and a thumbs up is also in order for Patrick Doyle's score. All I have to do is listen it on its own and my eyes get weirdly moist...
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Brian De Palma is a master of the genre. Unlike other gangster films, Carlito's Way dives straight into the action, propelling the plot at a breakneck pace. Carlito is your typical mafia man — a madman. Just as firm as his views are, so is the film's narrative. It doesn't hold back, hitting the viewer with the force of an open pressure valve. The acting is, of course, phenomenal.
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After a second screening, I’m giving a full rating to this great gangster flick, with De Palma in full force. While Montana was a perfectly relatable character in Scarface, you simply have to root for the old school Carlito Brigante, with his street morals, even though he was certainly no saint thanks to his drug past. De Palma's ability to tell a compelling story while captivating with his directorial ideas is evident in the first dramatic scene in the billiard room. The final fifteen minutes escalate incredibly, and the scene of the ambulance ride with the badly wounded Carlito and his gaze on the advertising poster of the "road to paradise", accompanied by a melancholic song, is beautifully sad and uplifting at the same time.
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