Review of Carlito's Way (1993) by Adam Z — 29 Dec 2008
De Palma's answer to "Goodfellas". Pacino is a force of nature in this film. You can't take your eyes off of him because he's so good in it. I honestly think that Carlito Brigante is the best character that Pacino has ever played.
You could, of course, argue for Michael Corleone, or Tony Montana, or Roy Cohn, or Serpico... but I've never loved Pacino more than I did in this film. He steals every single scene. But of course, the supporting cast is phenomenal: a sexy, heartbreaking Penelope Ann Miller; a deranged Sean Penn; a fiery John Leguizamo; a cool Luiz Guzman; a sorrowful Viggo Mortensen.
.. they're all wonderful. David Koepp's screenplay is fantastic- perhaps his one great piece of work. The use of Joe Cocker's "You Are So Beautiful" on the soundtrack is also startingly appropriate, giving the film a real sense of heart.
But seriously, the biggest reason as to why this film did so well is De Palma. His experience with action scenes, love scenes, snappy dialogue and masterful pacing is incomparable. He is truly a cinematic legend and anybody who thinks otherwise does not appreciate cinema at all.
This review of Carlito's Way (1993) was written by Adam Z on 29 Dec 2008.
Carlito's Way has generally received very positive reviews.
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