Review of Carlito's Way (1993) by Omar L — 12 Mar 2011

For my money I'd pick "Carlito's Way" as the superior movie to "Scarface" any day of the week. Why the comparison? Carlito's Way is the second time director Brian De Palma has worked with Al Pacino after Scarface ten years earlier. This is a great original crime story about a man that was once a hardened skilled criminal, but after facing 5 years in jail he has come out the other end a clean man that wants no part of his old life. He doesn't want that kind of trouble, but that kind of trouble starts to find him right away. Al Pacino is great as Carlito and Sean Penn is amazingly transformed as his coke addicted lawyer.

Any other year and Penn would have grabbed the Oscar but 1993 was a Monster for film and supporting actors with Ralph Fiennes (Schindler's List), Leonardo Dicaprio (What's Eating Gilbert Grape), John Malcovich (In the Line of Fire), and Tommy Lee Jones (The Fugitive). I can't think of a tougher category in any other year. An excellent supporting cast is here as well with John Leguizamo, Viggo Mortenson, Luis Guzman, and Penelope Ann Miller. If you haven't watched this classic then be sure that you do because you're missing out. 10 out of 10 from me.