"The Street is Watching, She's Always Watching"

Carlito's Way was originally released in 1994: for Al Pacino, it's sandwiched right between The Scent of a Woman & Heat. It's interesting to note that this was not as widely successful as either of them. But it is equally as good as Heat, and a far superior movie, in every sense, to Scent....

At first, it seems that Director, Brian DePalma is entering into familiar themes addressed in his previous movies Scarface or even (on closer inspection) The Untouchables, which are both excellent examples of the "Gangster Genre". Of course, Depalma and Pacino are practically begging you to think of Scarface and Carltio's Way in the same sentence...

These are obvious comparisons; all three movies are connected in their main story themes, which are, essentially the bad guys versus the good guys,

But, from the first scene that we see Pacino, and hear his voice over, we are entering into a very different world than either Scent, or Heat:

DePalma perfectly sets the tone , immediately sending you into a Carlito's world. There is absolutely no ambiguity from the get go. You know that Carlito is a bad man. But you're preconceptions of Pacino allow for interesting play on what it means to be "bad" because, as we learn very quickly, Carlito has turned a page and is beginning to believe he can escape his past, make good the future...move on.

This theme echoes in his brief but significant meetings with one "Benny Blanco (from the Bronx)" the superb John Leguizamo. Benny see Carlito as a figure of authority, yet someone to challenge. They are inextricably linked, the past and the future of the underworld. Carlito's is reminded of himself in Benny.

As we are drawn so immediately into Carlito's world, the interplay between himself and the other main characters is never over played. It's incredibly real. Pacino does an outstanding job of being a man in the middle of a slow & painful moment of clarity...

Sean Penn plays David Kleinfeld, Carltio's sometimes Lawyer & friend and a complete liability , just kicks ass!". Carlito is consistently being drawn in to Davids seedy business deals and hilarious coke fiend rants... Sean had not really blown up in 1994. Sure, there were some excellent pieces on his CV (At Close Range, Colors, Casualties of War) but in Carlito's Way, he surpasses all expectations. Less than two years later, he was in Dead Man Walking, and that is a man at the top of his game.

This is a film that takes a really, really deep breath, and holds it for just about as long as you can before you bust something. There is the feeling that maybe a metronome is playing somewhere in the back ground, dutifully ticking off the seconds until something really bad happens.

People are forever banging on about Scarface. No doubt, because it really is a "piece of work"; every time you see it, yes, something else of note does opens itself up, requiring reconsideration of what the film really is about. I agree...( Blah blah blah...)

But there's something in Carlito that is not, nor ever will be in Scarface (and, to be fair it was never intended...) which is why, to my mind you just really cannot compare the two:

Carlito's story is a "true" tale of one mans' decision to change, no matter what, and the forces outside his control that make this decision an impossible task to undertake. In Scareface, the message is the total opposite- sheer force of will can get you anywhere you want.

Carlito's Way stands head and shoulders above most "gangster" genre from the last 10 years. It stands above films from many Genre.

The Film, Heat, ironically left me cold. I appreciate Michael Mann's style. (Manhunter, Ali, Collateral) but there is something soulless, almost deliberately, about his movies -

Depalma is not necessarily well know for having heart: but the magic is all there is Carlito's Way. Without an ounce of unneeded sentiment, this film will have Men of a certain age go a big wobbly one.