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143 out of 180 people found the following comment useful :- Way underrated, 24 January 2003 Author: Idocamstuf from Greenville, NY
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.
97 out of 114 people found the following comment useful :- A Wonderful Movie, 4 October 2000 Author: wortdog97 (wortdog97@aol.com) from Tucson, Arizona
Pacino and DePalma team up once again and the result is once again triumphant. "Carlito's Way" is an emotional and captivating story, depicting the life of former trug kingpin Carlito Brigante (Pacino). Brigante's intention is to go straight, clean up his act, and make money managing a sleazy nightclub. David Koepp's screenplay has the depth it needs in examining the intense struggle an ex-druglord must endure when trying to escape his violent past. Stephen Burum's nearly flawless camerawork and DePalma's flamboyant and operatic direction are a visual splendor that complements the emotional story. This film is a highly underrated work of art that needs to be appreciated. Great supporting performances from Sean Penn and Penelope Ann Miller should not go unmentioned.
84 out of 97 people found the following comment useful :- Watch this film., 4 June 2005 Author: carlito235 from United Kingdom
*** This comment may contain spoilers ***
Once again, one of the greatest actors of our time teams up with one of the greatest directors. Ther combination must surely be as good as, if not better than, Scorsese and De Niro. First the excellent Scarface, and then Carlito's Way, a film that blew me away when I first saw it.Pacino's portrayal of ex-gangland boss and drug dealer Carlito Brigante is powerful, moving and at times very funny. Combined with great performances from Sean Penn and Penelope Ann Miller, this film is a roller-coaster ride of "will he, won't he" tension and heavy , though not gratuitous, violence.So swept away do we get in Carlito's struggle that we actually forget that he's dying at the beginning of the film, and are praying that he'll make it by the end. This is a masterstroke from De Palma and a salute to the powerful and mesmeric acting of one Alfredo Pacino.A modern classic - this film has everything you could want. Love, loyalty, betrayal, sadness, comedy, and most importantly of all - balls.
65 out of 73 people found the following comment useful :- Great story, great acting, 17 March 2005 Author: rory mckenna from High Wycombe England
Right well I can say this is one of my favourite gangster films ever, and I truly regard it almost as highly as good fellas or the godfather.This is simply because of the way the story catches you. Pacino delivers an excellent performance (do you really expect any less from him?) as the main guy Carlito who just wants out of the whole gangster game. By his side is the almost unrecognisable Sean Penn. An afro wearing cocaine addict who just seems determined to lure Carlito back into the kind of world he is trying to leave.This film is easy to enjoy with a great story and a great cast. And if you look carefully enough you can see a young Viggo Mortensen (Aragorn from lord of the rings in case you don't know) as a crippled low life. Made me chuckle.Anyways, i give this movie 10/10
66 out of 85 people found the following comment useful :- As good as it gets, a must for any fan of Scarface (1983)., 8 February 2001 Author: John Paul Young (jpy@johnpaulyoung.com) from Toronto, CANADA
Carlito's Way (1993), is a brilliant cinematic work. Pacino's performance as Carlito Berganzi displays the duplicity and subsequent torment between his reformed spirit, and the endless seduction of the street, embodied more specifically as his reputation,legacy,those who know him, of him, and those whom he allows in his innermost circle. Sean Penn is phenomenal as the lawyer representing Carlito, his metamorphosis into character is testament to his depth of talent. Penelope Ann Miller, as the long-suffering love of Carlito's life is dramatically and visually enchanting. The casting is perfect. The supporting cast superb, perfectly augmenting the film. The script is alive with literary devices, the story line(s), characters, dialogue, themes, sub-texts,etc., make this an almost endlessly watchable film. Of this genre, Its all there, action, suspense, violence, confrontations, chases, prerequisite street and wise guy character profiling with the right dialogue to make it work. Directed, executed and rendered a cinema great. Carlito's Way is atypical of the gangster genre, although it adheres to certain basics. It is also a love story, not boy meets girl, ad nauseum, but real, destined soul mates, wrenched apart and thrown back together five years later by some abberation of fate. As one experiences spiritual,moral disintegration, the other the anti-thesis. Carlito's Way is a mix of genre's veiled with diligent artistic discretion. I even see certain thematic similarities to Casablanca. Watching Carlito's Way I had the feeling that De Palma wanted to resurrect and redeem poor old Tony Montana, Scarface (1983). Perhaps it was self-redemption, or a means to a great film with a second view or maybe the fun of bringing back that great ensemble of talent, based on a similar theme. A sequel of sorts, not to diminish either film in anyway. Released exactly ten years after Scarface, the comparisons are more than obvious. Ten years later, De Palma and Pacino. Oliver Stone missing, but another great script. In Carlito's Way, Pacino again plays a Hispanic drug lord. Now Puerto Rican in New York City, before Cuban in Miami. Now drug lord repentant, whereas in Scarface, drug lord vehemently unrepentant and devoid of remorse, from beginning to surrealistic end. Instead of classic gangster genre prerequisites employed in Scarface, such as, coming from the bottom, rising in status, trust and favour in the eyes of the mob boss, eventually killing him, and gaining his empire his woman(Michelle Pfeiffer). Love? Its not in the equation- Carlito only wants to unite with his TRUE LOVE. To redeem himself in her eyes, after causing her the heartbreak of losing him forever.(Which it would have been, if not for the quirk of intervention by Carlito's coke addicted, sociopathic lawyer). Carlito seeks solely to prove to his love that he is truly changed, honest, sincere, and even has a plan whereupon they can live happily ever after. Carlito and his girl are likeable. Upon viewing this film one is compelled to empathy, wanting them to escape insurmountable odds (the almost onmniprescent serpent-like "street"), finding and deserving of happiness as long as they may live. However, it is though The Angel of Death has been hidden somewhere in every frame of De Palma's film, casting a shadow, waiting patiently to put his hand upon...Even the ancillary characters from Scarface are brought back in legions for Carlito's Way. Carlito's Way is Scarface with "feelings". Which is another similarity in the two films, "feelings" is the Achille's Heel of both Carlito Berganzi and Tony Montana. I also believe both films were vastly underrated and overlooked by the mainstream media, but upon populist vote, they are both widely esteemed as "classic". I'd give Carlito's Way (1993) nine out of ten. If I saw a ten, it would be a life changing event.
43 out of 54 people found the following comment useful :- More human than "Scarface.", 11 October 2005 Author: MovieAddict2009 from UK
"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.)
39 out of 47 people found the following comment useful :- After watching this film, i felt stupid., 22 January 2007 Author: EscObAR122 from USA
I really did feel stupid because i avoided watching this film for quite a long time for apparently no reason. Nothing could have prepared me for what was ahead when i finally did decide to give it a go.It's just a masterful piece of film making and has all the ingredients you need in a masterpiece.The cast is simply brilliant led by Al Pacino, arguably the best actor ever seen on the American screen and Senn Penn who was extremely annoying in Casualties of War(1989) but in this movie he did a good if not not great job.One of the few good films in Brian De Palma's long career and it definitely doesn't deserve to be so underrated, I can't believe it was not nominated for no Oscars or golden globes or any other major awards.10/10
37 out of 44 people found the following comment useful :- Great movie..vastly underrated!, 2 December 2005 Author: Aditya Gokhale from India
Great movie..and I can see why it is underrated...possibly due to obvious comparisons to Scarface (Brian De Palma, Martin Bregman, Al Pacino team), which was much more brutal in its approach.Al Pacino as Carlito, awesome as he is, is still much softer compared to the sledgehammer Tony Montana. And then there is some romance mixed in with the story of a gangster trying to reform himself.I didn't like the romantic scenes myself...thought they interrupted the flow of the story...hence I gave it a 9 instead of a 10! There is also some clichéd dialogue. I happen to be a big Pacino fan and so I am being a little bit (though not entirely) biased and am sidelining all these things. If you excuse these small potatoes, this one is a great flick from start to finish, very entertaining, with some fantastic performances from the supporting cast, e.g. Sean Penn. Special mention, also, of Viggo Mortensen who comes in for a short role, but plays the part wonderfully.As for Al Pacino in lead role, he makes sure he steals the show, as usual. Brilliant!
40 out of 50 people found the following comment useful :- A brilliant gangster movie!, 31 December 2004 Author: Morfeus Ivanovich from Riga, Latvia
This is one of the two greatest works of a true master - Brian de Palma. Just like it's "brother", Scarface, the movie gives us an insight of a criminal world, with all it's cruelty, deceit, lies and fatal decisions which can change ones life forever. As we observe the last days of a retired gangster Carlito Brigante, it's hard not to admire skills of the director, as a quite usual story of a good guy trying to quit "the business" turns into an epic and a cult movie right in front of our eyes. The movie also contains some important messages, and one of the most important is: "Never give up your friends, no matter what..." The movie has excellent cast (Pacino is great as usual, and Sean Penn does an amazing job as a repulsive corrupted lawyer) directing and soundtrack. 10/10, a true crime classics.
27 out of 32 people found the following comment useful :- Mind blowing story, 29 August 2001 Author: aphextwinx from Australia
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.
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