Carlito's Way

UK Release Date. 7 January 1994
Certification. 18
Running Time. 2 hours 24 mins
Director. Brian De Palma
Cast. Luis Guzmán, John Leguizamo, Penelope Ann Miller, Al Pacino, Sean Penn, James Rebhorn.
Rating. 71%

Review.

Ten years after Scarface, Brian De Palma reunited with Al Pacino for another modern day mob crime epic. Pacino plays Carlito Brigante, a notorious Puerto Rican criminal released from prison on a technicality, and intent on trying to start a new law-abiding life anew on the outside. But his plans are ultimately thwarted by his low-life lawyer, Dave Kleinfeld (Sean Penn).

With Carlito’s Way, De Palma has fashioned not simply another crime drama nor film noir, but rather an authentic, modern day variation on the Greek tragedy. The film centres on destiny and, in particular, an attempt to escape destiny. But my, does the film have heart. Pacino’s eyes tell a story all their own, in a riveting performance by the accomplished actor.

Perhaps lacking the raw power of Scarface, Carlito’s Way is still a stylish, entertaining drama with a spectacular climax set in New York’s Grand Central Station. De Palma constructs a sustained, nerve-jangling chase sequence from the bar El Pariso to Grand Central Station. During this sequence, the camera is constantly in motion, as Carlito is constantly in motion in an attempt to evade his pursuers. Surely, with Carlito’s Way De Palma delivers the greatest climactic set-piece of his career [and that’s something, given the Chicago Union Station steps sequence in The Untouchables or the split screen prom massacre in Carrie].

The genre has behemoths - take your pick from The Killing, The Godfather, The Godfather II, Mean Streets, Once Upon A Time In America and Goodfellas - but Carlito’s Way may be one of the most underrated, and certainly the one with the most heart.