Carlito's Way

Utterly compelling - Sean Penn is a powerhouse in support - and with a railway station set - piece in which De Palma actually betters what was his previously Untouchable effort.

Carlito's Way reunites the Scarface team of Al Pacino and director Brian De Palma to much better effect than the first time around, proving there's a lot of life still to be found in the conventional urban-gangster movie. [12 Nov 1993, p.45]

Big and violent, dark and operatic, both stingingly real and maddeningly overblown. But what gives it resonance is Pacino's performance.

Handsomely made, expertly directed and colorfully acted, it should satisfy action buffs and slightly more sophisticated audiences. That adds up to solid commercial prospects at home and abroad that are just shy of blockbuster returns.

Below the attention-getting surface, there's no sense of humanity underneath. The day De Palma pulls away the masks from his characters, they'll start to breathe -- and so will his films.

Carlito's Way reminds you a little of De Palma's remake of Scarface -- it has that jazzy, coke-frazzled bang and crash to it, the feeling of too many people chasing too many highs. But it's nowhere near as successful. It's not as shocking. It even feels . . . dated. [12 Nov 1993, p.G5]

About halfway through, the overwhelming fact that the movie is a complete nothing becomes too much to ignore.

I was thoroughly impressed with Carlito's Way. So far it is my favourite Brian De Palma film alongside Carrie and The Untouchables. De Palma's direction itself is terrific, while some of the set pieces such as the pool fight, the 15-minute subway chase and the shenanigans on the train-station escalator are among the best in any De Palma film. The cinematography is excellent, the lighting is used in an interesting way and the scenery and locations are striking. In short, the film looks good. The soundtrack drives the film very well too, the script is smart and funny and the story is ceaselessly compelling. The pace is spot on, and the acting is very good. Al Pacino gives a suitably restrained performance which was a refreshing change from his excessive performance in Scarface, while the supporting cast have plenty of time to enjoy themselves. In conclusion, a fine film. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Obviously the best movie of Brian de Palma. And what a great performance by Al Pacino

Good movie, De Palma is a great director, I like him. Maybe its best movie!

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

"Carlito's Way" finds "Scarface" collaborators Al Pacino and Brian De Palma reteaming within the realms of the crime epic. This time around, though, the wear and tear is evident, particularly in Pacino. From the misplaced accent, to the hammy voice-over work, his performance didn't really pass the smell test for me. Seemed like he was kind of phoning it in here. That being said, he's still watchable, with his innate charm and likability carrying you through the watch just so. A genuine shout-out has to go to Brian De Palma and his ability to film a frenetic set piece. The gunfights and chase scenes (particularly the one at the end of the film) are really terrific sights to see. I only wish there was as much attention put into the characters and drama. In longer movies like "The Godfather" or "Heat," even the tiniest of moments and characters feel significant. No time is wasted. Here, a lot of moments and characters either feel simply "there" or like a retread of something we've seen in a different film. I know it seems like I'm bagging on this movie a bit too much, but with names like Pacino and De Palma on a movie poster, you tend to expect more than this ended up being.