Crime/Drama
2 hours and 24 minutes
Rated: R
Written by: David Koepp
Directed by: Brian De Palma
Produced by: Martin Bregman, Michael Bregman, and Willi Bär
Cast:
Al Pacino
Sean Penn
Penelope Ann Miller
In his world, you got to shoot your way out. He wanted out. He'd do anything to get there.
After the critical and financial success of his two previous gangster films Scarface and The Untouchables, there was not much of a need for director Brian De Palma to return to the genre. Many could have seen Carlito's Way at the time as his "nothing further to prove" film. De Palma at this point in his career was already a highly regarded auteur, mainly due to his two previous films mentioned, but also to the success of his Argento-esque thrillers like Sisters (a tribute more to Hitchcock than Argento) and Dressed to Kill (one of the few films of De Palma's I find myself detesting). That all being said, when you know what you're good at why not stick to it? Indeed, Argento himself never strayed from the genre of horror, so why should De Palma feel obliged to never return to crime thrillers?
The result is stunning. Carlito's Way proves that whatever magic was going on for De Palma's career in the 1980s had not been lost by the 1990s. His re-teaming with both Al Pacino and Sean Penn is dynamite and he proves that he is a director capable of tackling complex narratives, and that he can effortlessly infuse human elements into stories that on first glance wouldn't merit such components. The script is wonderfully written, coming from a source material certainly helps, but understandably a great deal was changed from the adaptation process and also in the final film from the screenplay. The characters are believable, and surprisingly likable (except for Penn's - which is arguably the point), the story and violence levels are realistic but still thrilling, shocking, and entertaining, and the dialogue is fluid, slang-like, and at times almost musical with how easily the expert cast recites it.
Many claim De Palma appropriates ideas from Hitchcock, and that Hitchcock's fingerprints are all over his movies. I never found this to be the case, with perhaps the exception of Sisters which is very much a Rear Window homage. De Palma, to me, always seemed to be a student of Dario Argento, or that he appropriates more from Argento's oeuvre than he does Hitchcock's. Dressed to Kill, with its black gloved, straightedge wielding killer, is very much a callback to such Argento gialli as The Bird With the Crystal Plumage and Deep Red. De Palma's unique framing of shots and playing with colored lighting also brings to mind Argento's bold vision in both Suspiria and Inferno.
Carlito's Way is no exception to this Argento-De Palma relationship. The film's first sequence of action, involving a shootout in a dive-like pool bar is photographed in a manner that only a student of Argento could envision. Carlito sees the knife wielding killer, moving in tension building slowmotion, across the room in the reflection of an adversary's sunglasses towards his cousin - before the knife ultimately slashes the victim's throat. The sequence is truly one of the best ever captured by cinematographer Stephen H. Burum. Later sequences such as a rainy voyeuristic sequence of Carlito watching his former lover Gail performing ballet call to mind moments from both Suspiria and Inferno. These moments of homage do not hurt the film, because what De Palma does is utilize lessons learned from Argento's canon by understanding what worked in his movies and applies them to this much larger, studio released picture. It's no different than anything Tarantino ever does with his films and his favorite filmmakers.
The cast is remarkable, and each performer pushes the other to knew levels of talent by bringing out the best in each other. Unlike his leading role in De Palma's Scarface, Al Pacino brings a sense of charm to the film's troubled hero. He is a rough man, someone who has killed and done horrible things, but there is never a moment within the film that the audience does not like him. We want Carlito to succeed even though we know, given who he is, that it is impossible - and when this inevitability is realized by the film's conclusion it is absolutely heartbreaking. Sean Penn's character is the utter reverse of Pacino's. As the cagey lawyer/gangster Kleinfeld, Penn's character is one of the few in the story that is unlikable from nearly the start of the film. Despite this, the audience can't help but have a sense of understanding for why Kleinfeld is how he is. His character has been bullied and pushed around by wise guys his entire career, so just as Carlito's fate is inevitable, Kleinfeld's becomes understandable - even if it does make him problematic and unlikable. The supporting cast, including John Leguizamo and Luis Guzmán are all terrific and hold their own in scenes with Pacino and Penn. A cameo by Viggo Mortensen is surprising, but he too proves to be a real titan of a performer, going toe-to-toe with Pacino in terms of likability and playing the "tragic figure". Perhaps the film's only bad performance is by its leading lady, Penelope Ann Miller, who, honestly, isn't at all that bad. She does well in what scenes she has, but she never really shines through the way the rest of the supporting and main cast do.
The film, being set in the 1970s, has a terrific soundtrack, sets, and costumes. The disco clubs, dive bars, mansions, offices, and back alleys all look like they fit the era. The suits and dresses are flashy - perhaps less so than the Miami-set Scarface - but again, are impressive and fit in with the era the film is intended for.
Carlito's Way may not be Brian De Palma's best film, but it is unquestionably one of his better films. He proves that he is a true master of the crime genre by weaving an interesting story, getting his performers to deliver outstanding performances, and by appropriating techniques from other auteur filmmakers, mainly Dario Argento, that have worked in the past and work just as well - if not better - in the finished result.
9/10
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