Carlito's Way: Rise to Power (2005) (V)

Director:

Michael Bregman

Writers (WGA):

Michael Bregman (screenplay)
Edwin Torres (novel)

Release Date:

1 December 2005 (Iceland)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller

Plot:

In the late 1960s, Carlito Brigante (Hernandez) emerges as the heroin czar of Harlem.

Plot Keywords:

Heroin | Prison | Mafia | Shot In The Chest | Shot To Death

Cast

Jay Hernandez	...	Carlito Brigante
Mario Van Peebles	...	Earl
Luis Guzmán	...	Nacho Reyes
Sean 'P. Diddy' Combs	...	Hollywood Nicky (as Sean Combs)
Michael Kelly	...	Rocco
Giancarlo Esposito	...	Little Jeff
Jaclyn DeSantis	...	Leticia
Burt Young	...	Artie Bottolota Sr.
Mtume Gant	...	Reggie
Domenick Lombardozzi	...	Artie Bottolota, Jr.
Juan Carlos Hernández	...	Sigfredo
Eric Nieves	...	Chucho
Jaime Tirelli	...	Leticia's Father
Nelson Vasquez	...	Manny Sanchez
Casper Martinez	...	Colorado

Also Known As:

Carlito's Way 2: Rise to Power (USA) (working title)
Carlito's Way: The Beginning (USA) (working title)
Carlito útja: A felemelkedés (Hungary) [hu]
I dynami tis exousias (Greece) (TV title) [el]

MPAA:

Rated R for language, violence, sexual content and drug material.

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

UK:18 | Singapore:M18 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Canada:18A (Manitoba) | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Finland:K-15 | Iceland:16 | Brazil:16 | Norway:15 (TV rating) | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Harlem, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Rogue Pictures

Trivia:

Luis Guzmán, who plays Nacho, also played Pachanga in Carlito's Way.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: Since the move is set in the mid- to late-60s, Malcolm X Boulevard would not have existed and would only be known as Lenox Avenue. Lenox Avenue was subtitled Malcolm X Boulevard in 1987.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Carlito Brigante: Sooner or later, a thug will tell his tale. We all want to go on record. So let's hear it for all the hoods. The Jews out of Brownsville, the blacks on Lennox Avenue, the Italians from Mulberry Street, the Irish in Hell's Kitchen. Like that. Meanwhile...
[...]

Movie Connections:

Follows Carlito's Way (1993)

The Beginning of a Criminal Life

In the 60's, the Puerto Rican Carlito Brigante (Jay Hernandez), the Afro-American Earl (Mario Van Peebles) and the Italian Rocco (Michael Kelly) become best friends while in prison. When they are released, Rocco intermediates a heroin business with a family of the Italian Mafia leaded by Artie Bottolota Sr. (Burt Young). Carlito negotiates with the lord Leroy "Hollywood Nicky" Barnes (Sean Combs) the area where the trio could operate in his neighborhood and sooner the three friends become powerful. Later, Carlito dates and has an affair with the beautiful Leticia (Jaclyn DeSantis). When Earl decides to move to Barbados with his girlfriend and leave the heroin business, his stupid younger brother causes a situation with the Italian mobsters, and Carlito and Rocco have to resolve the mess to save their lives.

"Carlito's Way: Rise to Power" is not as bad as written in many reviews in IMDb. Actually it is a good story, with the beginning of the criminal life of Carlito, showing his ability to negotiate. The story has good doses of humor, a decent plot and a surprising twist in the end. I do not dare to compare this movie with the excellent Brian De Palma's Carlito's Way, but I personally liked the explanations of the criminal life of Carlito and his friends. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "O Pagamento Final: Rumo ao Poder" ("The Final Payment: in the Way to the Power")