Carlito's Way (1993)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Melvin W

  
  Carlito: I don't invite this shit, it just comes to me. I run, it runs after me. Gotta be somewhere to hide.  "He wanted out. He'd do anything to get there." On one hand I love Carlito's Way for the performances from Pacino and Penn, for De Palma's… More
  Carlito: I don't invite this shit, it just comes to me. I run, it runs after me. Gotta be somewhere to hide.  "He wanted out. He'd do anything to get there." On one hand I love Carlito's Way for the performances from Pacino and Penn, for De Palma's signature touch of violence, and for how the story progresses on the back of its characters. Still, I can't help feeling like this isn't as good as it should be. It's good, but far from being an amazing film. With the talent in front of and behind the camera, I just always expect more. But still as it is, it is still a pretty fantastic piece of the Crime Drama genre. It doesn't reach the point of De Palma and Pacino's Scarface, but it is better than 90% of the other movies that try to do a story like this. Carlito has just been released from prison where he was serving a thirty year sentence. Instead, he is released after just five because his lawyer, Kleinfeld was able to get him off on a technicality. Carlito expresses right from the out set that he wants to be done with the gangster scene. All he wants to do is make some money so that he can move down to the Bahama's with his girlfriend Gail. Things don't go that perfectly though as his friends are constantly bringing him back into the gangster scene. The film is very character driven, but as the plot progresses, it leads to an extremely suspenseful final twenty minutes. De Palma just knows how to shoot amazing scenes on stairs in train stations. The one here resembles the one in The Untouchables to a high degree.  The movie is weakest when the narration is going on. The dialogue for it doesn't seem to fit in with the rest of the movie. It just feels very awkward and even silly. Whenever I hear the voice over come on, I just wish that it wasn't in the film, or at least cut down a little. Carlito's Way does have some amazing scenes as you would expect from De Palma. I already mentioned the scene in the train station. But the best scene in the movie is the first time we see Carlito pulled down into crime. He goes on a drug pickup with his cousin. The pickup doesn't go very well and a lot of shooting ensues. It all is capped off by one of the coolest little speeches ever. While this isn't a masterpiece, it is still a worthwhile film for sure. De Palma has made better movies than this, but it still shows a lot of what makes him great. It is hard to watch this and not compare it to Scarface, but you should probably try your hardest not to. Carlito: I'm reloaded! Okay? Come on in here, you motherfuckers! Come on, I'm waitin' for ya! What, you ain't comin' in? Okay, I'm comin' out! Oh, you up against me now, motherfuckers! I'm gonna blow your fuckin' brains out! You think you're big time? You gonna fuckin' die big time! You ready? HERE COMES THE PAIN! 

• Coxxie M

  
  Luiz Guil-whatever-his-name-is-Pugface-lookin samoan... its like everything Pacino says he just repeats it: "yo Benny you gots ta pay me!!!" "yeah,Benny u gots ta pay him!"

• moon r

  
  DePalma delivers a work w/o the overexaggerated Hitchcockian tricks of yore and the result is taut, edge-of-your-seat film-making. Pacino is restrained, powerful, while Penn's arc into paranoid coke frenzy plays vividly true. A worthy addition in anyone's gangster film… More
  DePalma delivers a work w/o the overexaggerated Hitchcockian tricks of yore and the result is taut, edge-of-your-seat film-making. Pacino is restrained, powerful, while Penn's arc into paranoid coke frenzy plays vividly true. A worthy addition in anyone's gangster film collection.

• Christopher A

  
  Carlitos Way is yet another top notch Al Pacino gangster film in which we see legendary 'Carlito Brigante' try to cut his ties with the underworld and make it on his own, straight. The storyline is solid and well paced, the characters are well developed and with Al Pacino… More
  Carlitos Way is yet another top notch Al Pacino gangster film in which we see legendary 'Carlito Brigante' try to cut his ties with the underworld and make it on his own, straight. The storyline is solid and well paced, the characters are well developed and with Al Pacino on board its hard to go wrong. Sean Penn as the bent lawyer Kleinfeld is excellent and its really his actions that make you sit up and get involved with this film. Similar to the Godfather Part III, Carlito thinks he's finally free and can go follow his dream of renting cars to tourists in some far away paradise. However, just like Michael Corleone, just when he thinks hes out, they pull him right back! The lengthy cat and mouse end sequence is attention grabbing and keeps you guessing until the very end. Yes this is Al Pacino. Yes this is another gangster film. And Yes, we are all still watching and for good reason! "Favor gonna kill you faster than a bullet. "

• Curtis L

  
  Pretty decent gangster movie. Viggo Mortensen is in a wheelchair and complains about pooping his pants everyday. You can't pass up cinematic gold like that. Pacino does an excellent job as always playing the same character.

• Alexis N

  
  Not as good as Scarface.. but, really, is any drug&gun movie as good as that one?! I really wanted Carlito to get out and have an honest life, the ending could have been different. But it was really good and thrilling.. well done mob/thug/crime drama, with a great cast.

• Aditya G

  
  Great movie..and I can see why it is underrated; possibly due to obvious comparisons to Scarface (Brian De Palma, Martin Bregman, Al Pacino team), which was much more brutal in its approach. Al Pacino stars as Carlito Brigante, an ex-gangster, who with the help of his lawyer and… More
  Great movie..and I can see why it is underrated; possibly due to obvious comparisons to Scarface (Brian De Palma, Martin Bregman, Al Pacino team), which was much more brutal in its approach. Al Pacino stars as Carlito Brigante, an ex-gangster, who with the help of his lawyer and friend David Kleinfeld (Sean Penn) beats his 30 years prison sentence and gets out in 5 years. Carlito has made up his mind to go clean and never to go in the coke business he used to be involved in. He plans to make enough money in order to start a car rental business. In order to do so, he partners up with a man called Saso and starts running his local disco. Things seem to be in place, but certain elements seem to be working against him and his plans. Carlito soon discovers that once you are in, you are in, and it is one hell of a task to get out of it! The plot somewhat reminded me of "The Godfather Part III". It could almost also qualify as a sequel to "Scarface", had Montana been alive and decided to go clean! Only Al Pacino as Carlito, awesome as he is, is still much softer compared to the sledgehammer Tony Montana. And then there is some romance mixed in with the story of a gangster trying to reform himself. Carlito looks up his old girlfriend Gail (Penelope Ann Miller) who now works as a dancer in a nightclub and attempts to win her back. I didn't like the romantic scenes myself...thought they interrupted the flow of the story...hence I gave it a 9 instead of a 10! There is also some clichéd dialogue. I happen to be a big Pacino fan and so I am being a little bit (though not entirely) biased and am sidelining all these things. If you excuse these small potatoes, this one is a great flick from start to finish, very entertaining, well-directed by Brian De Palma and with some fantastic performances from the supporting cast. Sean Penn is superb as the coke snorting lawyer David Kleinfeld. This is definitely one of his best, yet less known performances. John Leguizamo makes a very memorable appearance as Benny Blanco from the Bronx, a wannabe gangster who initially thinks very highly of Carlito. Luis Guzman does pretty well as Pachanga who assists Carlito in running the club. Special mention, also, of Viggo Mortensen who comes in for a short role, but plays the part wonderfully. As for Al Pacino in lead role, he makes sure he steals the show, as usual. Brilliant!

• xGary X

  
  A Puerto Rican drug dealer is released from prison with the full intention of going straight, but circumstances make it increasingly difficult. Carlito's Way feels like the other side of the coin to De Palma's earlier collaboration with Pacino, Scarface. In this film the… More
  A Puerto Rican drug dealer is released from prison with the full intention of going straight, but circumstances make it increasingly difficult. Carlito's Way feels like the other side of the coin to De Palma's earlier collaboration with Pacino, Scarface. In this film the protagonist is an essentially good man doing his best to stay out of trouble, something made impossible by crooked, jewfro-ed best friend Sean Penn. As is always the case with De Palma, subtlety is thrown straight out of the window and his comic strip direction means it's hardly the height of sophistication. It is however always entertaining thanks to enjoyable turns from the double act of Pacino and Penn and the lurid environment of 70s New York makes a colourful backdrop to the slapstick violence. On the downside, Penelope Ann Miller is kind of a plank and De Palma should realise that giving away the ending at the beginning of the film only works when there are clever twists and turns during the journey. Otherwise all you're doing is, well, giving away the ending. Not exactly The Godfather, but it's a lot better than the over-rated Scarface.

• Jennifer D

  
  What I liked about it most was the angle. And the camera angles. But those are two different things. While this wanting to get out while getting sucked back in, is a mildly used plot line, though a whole film dedicated to it, it interesting. And I am really not a big Sean Penn girl,… More
  What I liked about it most was the angle. And the camera angles. But those are two different things. While this wanting to get out while getting sucked back in, is a mildly used plot line, though a whole film dedicated to it, it interesting. And I am really not a big Sean Penn girl, but he was okay in this. Didn't like the character, but you weren't supposed to... It was nice and well done, but I don't need to watch it again.

• Clintus M

  
  This is DePalma's Godfather and one of my favorites by him. Its a cult classic and great vehicle for several big stars who give memorable performances. Pacino has never been better, even in DePalma's Scarface, Penelope Ann Miller was better than expected, and John Lezigamo… More
  This is DePalma's Godfather and one of my favorites by him. Its a cult classic and great vehicle for several big stars who give memorable performances. Pacino has never been better, even in DePalma's Scarface, Penelope Ann Miller was better than expected, and John Lezigamo shone brilliantly in the first serious starring role. Sean Penn, however, steals the show as the brutally sleazy lawyer; tremendous acting. This is a tale of redemption,revenge,and new beginnings as well as a typical opera by the director. The New York locations heighten the realism; I believed I was in the thick of the action. Urban crime dramas don't get much better than this.

• Mark W

  
  10 years after they first collaborated and brought Tony Montana to the screen in "Scarface", Brian DePalma and Al Pacino team up again for yet another foray into the crime world. Pacino plays Puerto-Rican drug dealer Carlito Brigante who has just been released from prison… More
  10 years after they first collaborated and brought Tony Montana to the screen in "Scarface", Brian DePalma and Al Pacino team up again for yet another foray into the crime world. Pacino plays Puerto-Rican drug dealer Carlito Brigante who has just been released from prison due to some diligent defending from his trusted lawyer and friend Davie Kleinfeld (Sean Penn). Upon his release, he is immediately back in contact with his old cohorts from the streets and recieves several offers to get him back in business, but Carlito is determined to go straight and make a better life for himself and girlfriend Gail (Penelope Ann Miller). The problem is, he needs money to escape the life of crime so agrees to run a nightclub for as long as it takes to earn his money and move on. However, as much as he's finished with his previous life, his previous life is not finished with him as old and new faces appear, testing his resolve. DePalma's "Scarface" has a proud and faithful following but with "Carlito's Way" he has outdone himself. There are some similarities with both films and Brigante could also be seen as an aging Montana but the reason it works better this time around is the investment we have with Carlito. He is a more human and sympathetic character and we want to see him succeed. Pacino also underplays it this time with a lot more subtlety and a lot less grandstanding, immediately winning us over. There is also some brilliant support from Sean Penn who oozes sleaze and distrust and is more of a danger to Carlito due to his spiralling cocaine habit and the bad company he keeps. John Leguizamo is also a standout as Benny Blanco "from the Bronx", a young but dangerous hood out to make a name for himself and a short but powerful appearance from Viggo Mortensen as a strung out disabled addict, who also has his own interests at heart. These and other fine actors are all handled effortlessly by DePalma who's also not adverse to showing us some flamboyant and skillful camerawork during exciting action scenes without detracting from the tension. Although it may not be as "epic" as some other crime films, it without doubt deserves to be considered as equal to the best in the genre and definitely DePalma's best film.

• Conner R

  
  Carlitoâ??s way is basically a more serious approach to the crime genre then Brian De Palma gave us with Scarface. I really enjoyed all the first person shots, for some reason it really helps you sympathize with Carlito and the fact that heâ??s always in the wrong place at the wrong… More
  Carlitoâ??s way is basically a more serious approach to the crime genre then Brian De Palma gave us with Scarface. I really enjoyed all the first person shots, for some reason it really helps you sympathize with Carlito and the fact that heâ??s always in the wrong place at the wrong time. Al Pacino, much like his director, takes his role a lot more serious this time around, but he still has a lot of fun with the character. Sean Penn is also extremely good as Klienfeld, his Jewish lawyer. It reminds me a lot of the development Robert De Niro did for The Untouchables, demanding a huge physical presence. I would say it is in many ways the biggest transition De Palma made as a director because it became less about the visuals and more about the story. Not to say that his preceding films arenâ??t amazing, they are, itâ??s just a nice change and reflects his well rounded talent as a director.

• Anthony L

  
  Peer pressures a bitch ain't it! Pacino and Penn on great form and one of DePalma's best.

• Dean M

  
  This is the coolest gangster films I ever seen. Al Pacino delivers an excellent performance as the main guy Carlito who just wants out of the whole gangster game. By his side is the almost unrecognisable Sean Penn. An afro wearing cocaine addict who just seems determined to lure… More
  This is the coolest gangster films I ever seen. Al Pacino delivers an excellent performance as the main guy Carlito who just wants out of the whole gangster game. By his side is the almost unrecognisable Sean Penn. An afro wearing cocaine addict who just seems determined to lure Carlito back into the kind of world he is trying to leave. This film is easy to enjoy with a great story and a great cast. And if you look carefully enough you can see a young Viggo Mortensen as a crippled low life. Made me chuckle.

• Mason W

  
  Carlito's Way starring Al Pacino, Penelope Ann Miller and John Leguizamo is a good drama. Pacino plays an ex con whom is trying to stay on the right side of the track and meets a beautiful young lady...I really enjoyed this movie.

• Lorenzo v

  
  <i>Carlito: "I'm reloaded! Okay? Come on in here, you motherfuckers! Come on, I'm waitin' for ya! What, you ain't comin' in? Okay, I'm comin' out! Oh, you up against me now, motherfuckers! I'm gonna blow your fuckin' brains out!… More
  <i>Carlito: "I'm reloaded! Okay? Come on in here, you motherfuckers! Come on, I'm waitin' for ya! What, you ain't comin' in? Okay, I'm comin' out! Oh, you up against me now, motherfuckers! I'm gonna blow your fuckin' brains out! You think you're big time? You gonna fuckin' die big time! You ready? HERE COMES THE PAIN!"</i> Al Pacino is Carlito Brigante, a high-level Puerto Rican drug dealer sprung from a three-decade jail sentence after only five years, thanks to a technicality and his sleazy, cocaine-addled lawyer, Dave Kleinfeld (Sean Penn). Carlito renounces his previous ways and takes a job as the manager of a club that Kleinfeld has invested in, planning to save enough money so that he can eventually move to the Caribbean. But no sooner is Carlito back on the streets of New York than his old life claws at him in the form of both old partners (Luis Guzman) and vicious up-and-comers (John Leguizamo). Nevertheless, Carlito stays clean and even restarts his relationship with a dancer named Gail (Penelope Ann Miller), until he is finally led astray by Kleinfeld, who manipulates Carlito into participating in the murder of a Mafia don from whom Kleinfeld has stolen a million dollars. At that point, the race is on to see whether Carlito and Gail can escape his world for good. <b><u>Review</u></b> Once again, one of the greatest actors of our time teams up with one of the greatest directors. Ther combination must surely be as good as, if not better than, Scorsese and De Niro. First the excellent Scarface, and then Carlito's Way, a film that blew me away when I first saw it. Pacino's portrayal of ex-gangland boss and drug dealer Carlito Brigante is powerful, moving and at times very funny. Combined with great performances from Sean Penn and Penelope Ann Miller, this film is a roller-coaster ride of "will he, won't he" tension and heavy , though not gratuitous, violence. So swept away do we get in Carlito's struggle that we actually forget that he's dying at the beginning of the film, and are praying that he'll make it by the end. This is a masterstroke from De Palma and a salute to the powerful and mesmeric acting of one Alfredo Pacino. A modern classic - this film has everything you could want. Love, loyalty, betrayal, sadness, comedy, and most importantly of all - balls.

• Derek A

  
  How has this film eluded me the past 15 years???<p>I love mob/gangster movies, and this is one of the best. Al Pacino plays tough-as-nails gangster Carlito who is trying to change his ways since recently being exonerated from prison by his low-life attorney (played by Sean… More
  How has this film eluded me the past 15 years???<p>I love mob/gangster movies, and this is one of the best. Al Pacino plays tough-as-nails gangster Carlito who is trying to change his ways since recently being exonerated from prison by his low-life attorney (played by Sean Penn). However, Carlito is unable to escape his past. <p><i>Carlito's Way</i> is directed by mobster afficianado Brian DePalma, who also directed <i>Scarface</i>. Everything about this film is authentic NY mobster's way of living. I'm one of those people who is intrigued by this genre, and DePalma is King of his craft. He masterfully sets the mood in this film.<p>Al Pacino is an icon of mobsters. I have a hard time believing he is NOT a mobster in real life because he does it so perfectly... it's like second nature to him. However, I'm not going to jump on the Sean Penn bandwagon on this film. I think he was horribly cast here. He was annoying and unconvincing. I believe he is a top-notch actor, but I wasn't impressed with his earlier roles such as this one. Luis Guzman plays his stereotypical token good-guy sidekick mafia well. I loved John Leguizamo's small role ... he's an incredibly underrated actor.<p>The only downside to this film (and DePalma's films in general) is that it's a bit long-winded. Some lengthy scenes were rather unnecessary and could have been edited out. Also the notion of disbelief in reality must be present, because in this film cops either (1) don't exist or (2) don't do anything to protect citizens or to punish criminals. Most of the hits in this film were done in broad daylight with witnesses and cameras (like in the hospital).<p>Overall, if you're a fan of mob/gangster movies then you should definitely check this out. The gun battles are exciting, the mobsters are slick and cool, the pace is thrilling, the plot is rich with turns, and the women are very attractive.

• Stephen M

  
  In short, "Carlito's Way" is the great movie that "Scarface" should have been. Interestingly, the old-fashioned plot - a criminal's thwarted attempt to become a legitimate businessman - is essentially the same as that of "The Godfather" saga,… More
  In short, "Carlito's Way" is the great movie that "Scarface" should have been. Interestingly, the old-fashioned plot - a criminal's thwarted attempt to become a legitimate businessman - is essentially the same as that of "The Godfather" saga, the crucial difference being that Pacino's Michael Corleone is a good guy who turns rotten, whereas his Carlito Brigante is a bad guy eager to mend his wicked ways: Corruption versus Redemption. One of the limitations of a Corruption storyline is that the audience frequently fails to empathise with the loathsome central character; the main reason I don't like "Scarface", De Palma's Corruption gangster movie, is that it is short on plot and long on running time, although it certainly doesn't help that Tony Montana is a vicious little bastard who is impossible to care about. Carlito, by way of contrast, is immensely likeable and, as with Harvey Keitel's Charlie in Scorsese's "Mean Streets" (which I prefer to the otherwise critically unassailable "GoodFellas" because, frankly, I don't really give a shit what happens to Ray Liotta by the end of that movie) the film is propelled by our desperation for him to succeed, coupled with our almost certain knowledge that he shall not do so. Rarely have De Palma's bravura set pieces been as unobtrusively subservient to the storytelling as they are here, and the 'trick-shot' suspense scene and Grand Central Station finale rank among his finest work, even though the latter chase sequence does begin very lamely: "There he is! Come on!!!" Sean Penn - resembling a '70s-era Randy Newman with a receding hairline - is good fun in a showy but shallow role, but some of the supporting performances are far superior, particularly Viggo Mortensen as the treacherous Lalin, who deserves better than the slapdash, unresolved fate he receives. There is something preposterous about Carlito's relationship with the dancer, Gail, but the performances of Pacino and Penelope Ann Miller just about pull it off, producing De Palma's most tender and genuinely affecting scenes since "Carrie". I can actually find a lot of faults with "Carlito's Way" - for instance how a couple of long, prowling camera movements are scuppered by the bad acting of Jorge Porcel's Saso - but every time I watch it I'm willing the guy to catch that train, just one time. That's got to qualify as great filmmaking!

• Derek D

  
  One of Pacino's best performances, Carlito's Way was done when Al was really on a roll after just finishing Scent Of A Woman and Glengarry Glen Ross. I'm not a fan of Scarface by any means, which might be why I enjoyed this movie a lot. Supporting roles done in… More
  One of Pacino's best performances, Carlito's Way was done when Al was really on a roll after just finishing Scent Of A Woman and Glengarry Glen Ross. I'm not a fan of Scarface by any means, which might be why I enjoyed this movie a lot. Supporting roles done in magnificent fashion by Penn, Guzman and Leguizamo make this very enjoyable.

• Chris G

  
  Brian DePalma and Al Pacino team up again ten years after the controversial Scarface to give us the story of reformed Puerto Rican criminal Carlito Brigante in Carlito's Way. Carlito has just been sprung out of his thirty year sentence in only five years by his lawyer (played by… More
  Brian DePalma and Al Pacino team up again ten years after the controversial Scarface to give us the story of reformed Puerto Rican criminal Carlito Brigante in Carlito's Way. Carlito has just been sprung out of his thirty year sentence in only five years by his lawyer (played by Sean Penn) and has vowed to stay legit until he can come up with the money to move to the Bahamas and buy into a car rental business. Things are going good for Carlito. He's running a night club that's making him money and he's back with his girl (played by Penelope Ann Miller). But this all begins to unravel due to the "code of the streets". Pacino is excellent as Carlito, who he doesn't play in the over the top way he's played a good portion of his roles since Scent of a Woman. Miller is also great as Gale, the woman who he left behind when he went to prison five years before. But the true stand out of the film was Sean Penn, who got so into his role as dirty attorney David Kleinfeld. Penn is amazing in this film and steals a few scenes from the legend Pacino. Carlito's Way is Sean Penn's breakout performance. Brian DePalma's fingerprints are all over this film. The subway scenes and the Vertigoesque camerawork when Gale finally pulls Carlito into her arms are classic DePalma who directs the film with great precision. Dare I say it? Carlito's Way is miles ahead of Scarface, a film that I consider to be one of the most overrated films of the last thirty years (no, it didn't make the top ten). It isn't as excessive as Scarface that spent almost three hours beating you over the head with bags of cocaine and the "f" word. Carlito is a more relaxed film that is steeped in film noir, mainly in the narration. The opening is a strong reminder of Sunset Blvd. from almost forty years before. Carlito's Way is one of the strongest pieces from DePalma and represents a renaissance that Pacino had in the early 1990's. If only Al could get that back now.

Read all 20 featured audience ratings