Carlito's Way (1993)

Director: Brian De Palma
Starring: Al Pacino, Sean Penn, Penelope Ann Miller

Synopsis:
A drug lord released early from prison tries to go straight but cannot escape his life of crime.

Impressions:
Some people have called this film an inverse Scarface and that's not an inapt description. Instead of the story of a rise to power in the underworld, it's one of a fallen kingpin trying to get out of the life. It's more restrained and grounded than Scarface, which depending on your perspective is either a good thing or a bad thing. While I find Scarface entertaining, this is a deeper film, even if the narration is a bit hokey. Al Pacino is much less outrageous as a Puerto Rican than as a Cuban. Sean Penn is pretty entertaining as the scumbag lawyer Kleinfeld and Viggo Mortensen averts the kind of characters he's known for as the pathetic Lalin. There's a good dynamic between Pacino and Penelope Ann Miller that doesn't hold the conflict ball too much. The finale is pretty solid too. If you want a decent crime story, give this one a watch.

Rating:
Watch It