Carlito's Way

Gritty, realistic and authentic. And some fine acting too.
When I rented this DVD I hadn't realized that I had seen it in a theater when it was first released in 1993. I remember that I liked it then. And, guess what? I like it even more now.

Directed by Brian DePalma and adapted from two novels by Edwin Torres, who just happens to be a judge in the New York Supreme Court, the screenwriter, David Keopp, did a wonderful job of bringing this story to the screen. Yes, it's fictional. But it has all the gritty realism of authenticity. And it also has some wonderful actors.

Al Pacino stars as Carlito, a Puerto Rican gangster. When we first meet him, he's just been released from prison because of a technicality. He wants to go straight now. Keep out of trouble. But it seems impossible. He's immediately drawn into to some heavy gunfights when his nephew gets involved in some drug sales. It's bloodshed and murder and a very exciting scene.

Sean Penn is cast as his lawyer. He's a sleazy type. He's flashy,...

Realistic, Gritty Crime Tale
In one of his best performances ever, Al Pacino is the engine that keeps "Carlito's Way" moving from beginning to end. Recently-released from prison, Carlos Brigante (played marvelously by Pacino) is a former Puerto Rican drug lord who ruled New York City's drug world during the 1960's and 1970's. Assisted by his lawyer (Sean Penn) Pacino is determined to stay out of the trade that landed him in prison in the first place. However, as usual trouble always lurks in every corner.

Deciding to buy and operate a Latin nightclub from an owner who is seriously in debt (played by the famous Argentine comedian Jorge Porcel, who had a cult following throughout Latin America due to his sexually-charged comedy skit show "A La Cama Con Porcel; he is know as the Latin-version of "Benny Hill"). Yet as old faces reemerge onto the scene, newer faces have also started to take a foothold in Brigante's former empire, especially Benny Blanco (played by the ever-wonderful John...

Third time's the charm?
There was a lot of anticipation when Carlito's Way was released in 1993. Director Brian De Palma had just come off a lukewarm reception for yet another Hitchcock homage, Raising Cain and was in need of a hit to appease the studios. And so, a re-teaming with Al Pacino in an effort to recreate the magic of Scarface made commercial sense. Carlito's Way was much more sombre in tone than the cinematic shotgun blast that is Scarface. It is a tragedy about how a criminal tries to go straight but is ultimately doomed from the get-go. This is the third version of the DVD, timed to coincide with the direct-to-video release of the prequel, but is it worth purchasing if you already own one of the previous incarnations?

Carlito is a role tailor-made for Al Pacino, allowing him to essay another larger-than-life character. Carlito is a smart guy who cannot escape what he is no matter how hard he tries and Pacino conveys the melancholy that lurks behind the bravado of his character. The...

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