Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Another Brian De Palma masterpiece..., 3 Nov 2004
The very fact that Brian De Palma directed this film is a signal that this film is of a very high standard. Before Carlito's way he'd already directed Scarface, Carrie, The Untouchables, Casualties of War, and many many more, but this film with the possible exception of Scarface is, in my opinion, his best work.The film depicts the life of a former Puerto Rican drug lord Carlito Berganzi (Al Pacino) from the moment his appeal is succesful and he is released from a 30 year prison sentence after serving only 5 years. Carlito pledges to keep his hands clean of any criminal activities...but Carlito sitting at home watching Trisha and drinking tea simply didn't cut it with the filming commission so instead he gets dragged down into the underworld yet again, mostly by his cocaine-addicted lawyer David Kleinfeld (Sean Penn), whilst the opposing force in Carlito's life, Gail (Penelope Ann Miller) tries desperately to pull him back to a normal, crime-free life. The film is beautifully shot and there is no moment in the film, ever, when you think "oo I'll just pause it so I can go and make myself a coffee"...I have the attention span of a goldfish, and can rarely watch a 2hr 24mins movie without having a break in the middle for coffee, but this movie was non-stop and kept me completly engaged, 100%, from start to finish. I don't need to tell you that Al Pacino does an awesome job...you already knew that, but Sean Penn and Penelope Ann Miller compliment Pacino's incredble acting skills perfectly. If you are a fan of gangster/mob films (Scarface, Casino, Goodfella's, The Godfather Trilogy, etc) then you absoultely must see this film, NO gangster film collection can ever be complete without this momentous film. This film is fully deserving of each and every one of the five stars I've given it!
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
One of the best sublimely self-conscious crime pictures, 10 Dec 2007
This film is often seen as the follow up to Brian De Palma's `Scarface (Widescreen Anniversary Edition), and while the films share a logical line of progression and the same director and star, they're not related really. The recent viewing of this movie for the first time since it was released in the mid 90s confirmed my long held beliefs: this is some of Mr. Pacino's best work on film along with great performances from Penelope Ann Miller (his love interest) and Sean Penn (Carlito's lawyer).
Brian De Palma makes one of his best (and under-rated) films by letting the viewer be as self-aware of the on-coming clichés and pit-falls of the drama the story intones, just by the narration. The aged, contemplative voice of Carlito Brigante (Al Pacino) that chimes in more often than not, is as essential to the way the story unfolds as Henry Hill's was to `GoodFellas'- this guys been on the inside, he knows the ropes, he knows the stakes, he knows the nature of the beast that goes with the people he associates with, and now that he's out of prison, he doesn't want it anymore. Un-like a lesser film, we start to believe his intentions and reasoning's.
Carlito's just been released, thanks in part to his counselor David Kleinfeld (Sean Penn), five years gone in a thirty year sentence, and when he returns to the street many look at him as if he's changed hearing that he's retired. Carlito just wants to get some money together, open a car dealership of sorts with a friend in the Bahamas, and works in a nightclub right smack dab in the heart of the coked up late 70's. As Carlito's tale unfolds, so does Kleinfeld's, as an inmate who's a client of his makes a demand that he can't turn down, which in turn brings a perpetually reluctant Carlito along with him. Carlito proves to be a complex character with a solid understanding of what's right and wrong, as well as very strong ambitions. These two traits are quite often opposed with one another, and it is in this conflict that De Palma brings out the best of Pacino. Somewhere along the way Carlito has won you to his cause, and despite the character flaws and set backs, you want to see him achieve his dream. But as the story unfolds, the stakes and risks are greater and his success seems less likely.
What I especially enjoyed in this movie was the narration Pacino had of Carlito in many crucial or pivotal parts of the script. Unlike many of his more well known and recognized roles, where Pacino had long brooding scenes, it was left to our imagination to often times wonder what the character was thinking. In Carlito's Way we are offered a glimpse into that thought process, and it is quite rewarding in fact. magnificent set-pieces that confirm De Palma's worth as a director of thrillers as well as dramas, this is an example of Hollywood movie-making that is waiting to be discovered over and over again, as proof of the value that can come in re-fashioning a genre piece.
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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"You ready?!! Here come da pain!!!"..., 10 Aug 2002
By A Customer
One of my all-time favorite movies, Al Pacino stars as Carlito Brigande, a Puerto Rican ex drug-lord trying to go straight after his release from prison 5 years into a 30 year stint. Sean Penn plays Carlito's lawyer, Kleinfeld; A brash, naive un-streetwise councellor, he is excellent in this role. Good support from Pennelope Ann Miller, as always, here playing the love interest. Great supporting roles and cameos from Luis Guzman as Pachanga, John Leguizamo as Benny Blanco from da Bronx! and hilarious stuff from Jorge Porcel as Saso (or RON! hehe) and Viggo Mortensen as Lalin. A Compelling story, brilliantly played, criminally underatted. Al Pacino at his best, a must-own movie.
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