List Price: $22.98 Our Price: $17.24YOU SAVE $5.74!
Buy it
DVD Carlito's Way Ultimate Edition
Al Pacino cuts a noble figure in this very enjoyable drama by director Brian De Palma (Scarface), based on a pair of books by Edwin Torres. Pacino plays a Puerto Rican ex-con trying hard to go straight, but his loyalty to his lowlife attorney (a virtually unrecognizable Sean Penn) and enemies on the street make that choice difficult. Penelope Ann Miller plays, somewhat unlikely, a stripper who has a romance with Pacino's character. The film finds De Palma tempering his more outlandish moves (think of Body Double or Snake Eyes) just as he did with the popular Untouchables and Mission: Impossible. But while Carlito's Way was not commercially successful and never rises to the level of greatness, it is a genuinely compelling movie graced with a fine performance by Pacino and a surprising one from Penn. --Tom Keogh
It seems like there is a point in many directors' careers when they feel the need to try and recreate a former glory they once had. This attempt usually results in a not-so-glorious film. Scorsese did it when he tried to practically remake "GoodFellas" with "Casino", Coppola did it when he made "The Godfather Part III", and De Palma did it when he made "Carlito's Way".
"Carlito's Way" is the story of Carlito Brigante (Pacino), a street gangster who is acquitted of a thirty-year sentence after just five years thanks to his weaselly lawyer (Penn). He then tries to make a legitimate life for himself by running a nightclub, but ties to his old friends sucks him unwillingly back into the criminal underworld.
The film is incredibly well made. De Palma has become a masterful director by 1993, and he showcases his full talent in "Carlito's Way". Every shot is thought-out and followed-through excellently, resulting in a film with perfect direction that maintains an extremely coherent visual feel throughout its 140+ minute running time.
So why only a B+? Well, the fact is that "Carlito's Way" is just not very original. There are multitudes of gangster films out there, and sometimes it's just hard for one to stand out. Also, as I stated earlier, De Palma is repeating himself. An ethnic gangster...a nightclub...Al Pacino...a life of sex, drugs, and violence...any of this ring a bell? Any of this sound suspiciously similar to "Scarface" (1983)? Although, this is something of an anti-"Scarface".
But all that aside, "Carlito's Way" is still a well made, thoroughly enjoyable crime film, and really, anything Al Pacino is involved in most likely warrants at least a viewing or two.
8/10
An excellent film all around
Carlito's Way is based on the books Carlito's Way & After Hours by Edwin Torres.This a reunion of Al Pacino & Brain De Palma after Scarface.The two are a dynamic duo.Making two great mob films.Both memorable & superbly made.
Carlito Brigante (Al Pacino) a ex-druglord gets out of prison & wants to do what's right.Make his dream.Be clean.No more violence.Because thats thats not who he is anymore.But Carlito is still believes in honor of friends & loyalty & all of his old reflexes always come back to remind him.His friend & lawyer Kleinfeld (Sean Penn) was a small time guy,now he aint no punk no more.He remembers his old girl Gail (Penelope Ann Miller) & how beautiful she is & reunites with her.But as good & honest as Carlito try's make his life does his fate get sealed little by little.
This film has great performances by the whole cast.By Pacino that never lets us down in any of his performances.We have Sean Penn in a great part as Kleinfeld as he falls down the path of corruption that we hardly recognize him with big bald frizzy hair.Also some performances by Luis Guzman,John Lequizamo & Viggo Mortensen in some their first parts.Guzman now get lots of the best supporting parts their are.Leguizamo is a great comedian & serious actor with a career already.And Mortensen that is one the best actors around.
The direction is spectacular by De Palma.He is one of the best directors alive.Giving us great films like Scarface,Gretting,Carrie,,Blow Out,The Untouchables & Carlito's Way.He is one of the new masters of suspense after Hitchock.The setup in the subway & Grand Central Station is a marvel in direction,writting & suspense.Its well staged & perfect.The music by Patrick Doyle adds really to the suspense of the film & the sadness & loss that this film projects as well.And this very well written script by David Koepp his best in my opinion that really put him on the market as a serious writer.
This a great film.This is recommend to all Pacino,Penn & De Palma fans & all suspense & mob lovers out their.A great movie of a man that cant get away from his own fate that closes on him.
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 real scene stealer, however, is Sean Penn's sleazy, coked-up lawyer. The actor reportedly did the film to help finance his directorial debut, The Crossing Guard. For a paycheck role, Penn does a great job as he disappears into the character, complete with a frizzy afro and cheap suits. It's almost as if Pacino's presence inspired Penn to step up his game. And this makes Penn's memorable turn so much fun to watch.
"Brian De Palma on Carlito's Way" features the director criticizing the current crop of movies that merely copy or quote from other movies or TV shows (Tarantino anyone?) and don't draw from real life. De Palma puts a lot of thought into the visuals of his movies in an attempt to surprise the audience. He goes on to slam film critics who don't like visual filmmakers and then, in an act of typical hubris, compares himself to Alfred Hitchcock.
There are nine deleted scenes totaling eight minutes. There are a lot of extensions of existing scenes that feature some nice moments between characters (like one between Pacino and Penn).
Included from the previously released "Collector's Edition" is "The Making of Carlito's Way," a 34 minute retrospective featurette. Sadly, Pacino and Penn are not present for this featurette that is nonetheless informative and well-made.
Also included from the "Collector's Edition" is a "Photo and Poster Gallery" that features some really cool poster designs, stills from the movie and some of De Palma.
"Original Promotional Featurette" was done back in the day and is more like a five minute trailer than anything of real substance.
Director Martin Scorsese reunites with members of his GoodFellas gang (writer Nicholas Pileggi; actors Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, and Frank Vincent) for a three-hour epic about the rise and fall of mobster Sam "Ace" Rothstein (De Niro), a character based on real-life gangster Frank "Lefty" Rosenthal. (It's modeled after on Wiseguy and GoodFellas and Pileggi's true crime book Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas.) Through Rothstein, the picture tells the story of how the Mafia seized, and finally lost control of, Las Vegas gambling. The first hour plays like a fascinating documentary, intricately detailing the inner workings of Vegas casinos. Sharon Stone is the stand out among the actors; she nabbed an Oscar nomination for her role as the voracious Ginger, the... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Robert De Niro - Sharon Stone - Joe Pesci Director(s): Martin Scorsese DVD Release Date: Released the 14 June 2005 Usually ships in 24 hours
List Price: $22.98 Your Price: $17.24YOU SAVE $5.74!
Buy it
Based on a memoir by former undercover cop Joe Pistone (whose daring and unprecedented infiltration of the New York Mob scene earned him a place in the federal witness protection program), Donnie Brasco is like a de- romanticized, de-mythologized version of The Godfather. It offers an uncommonly detailed, privileged glimpse inside the world of organized crime from the perspective of the little guys at the bottom of Mafia hierarchy rather than from the kingpins at the top. Donnie Brasco is not only one of the great modern-day gangster movies to put in the company of The Godfather films and GoodFellas, but it is also one of the great undercover police movies--arguably surpassing Serpico and Prince of the City in richness of character, detail,... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Al Pacino - Johnny Depp Director(s): Mike Newell DVD Release Date: Released the 11 December 2001 Usually ships in 24 hours
List Price: $14.94 Your Price: $11.95YOU SAVE $2.99!
Buy it
This sprawling epic of bloodshed and excess, Brian De Palma's update of the classic 1932 crime drama by Howard Hawks, sparked controversy over its outrageous violence when released in 1983. Scarface is a wretched, fascinating car wreck of a movie, starring Al Pacino as a Cuban refugee who rises to the top of Miami's cocaine-driven underworld, only to fall hard into his own deadly trap of addiction and inevitable assassination. Scripted by Oliver Stone and running nearly three hours, it's the kind of film that can simultaneously disgust and amaze you (critic Pauline Kael wrote "this may be the only action picture that turns into an allegory of impotence"), with vivid supporting roles for Steven Bauer, Michelle Pfeiffer, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, and Robert Loggia. Universal's... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Al Pacino - Michelle Pfeiffer Director(s): Brian De Palma DVD Release Date: Released the 30 September 2003 Usually ships in 24 hours
List Price: $19.98 Your Price: $14.99YOU SAVE $4.99!
Buy it
The success of Brian De Palma's Carlito's Way ensures that the straight-to-DVD release of Carlito's Way: Rise to Power will attract an eager audience among fans of urban gangland melodramas. A stellar cast provides adequate compensation as this tame, relatively bloodless prequel trots out every cliché in the book, qualifying as the 21st-century equivalent of a Warner Bros. gangster programmer from the 1930s. The well-chosen cast of new and familiar faces is caught up in a standard plot of territorial tension in Harlem between the blacks led by Hollywood Nicky (Sean Combs, adding a touch of blingy humor), the old-school Mafia led by Artie Sr. (Burt Young), and the caught-in-the-middle Puerto Ricans who are gaining control as Carlito (Jay Hernandez, in the role Al Pacino... More Info about this DVD Director(s): Michael Scott Bregman DVD Release Date: Released the 27 September 2005 Usually ships in 24 hours
List Price: $26.98 Your Price: $21.58YOU SAVE $5.4!
Buy it
Having developed his skill as a master of contemporary crime drama, writer-director Michael Mann displayed every aspect of that mastery in this intelligent, character-driven thriller from 1995, which also marked the first onscreen pairing of Robert De Niro and Al Pacino. The two great actors had played father and son in the separate time periods of The Godfather, Part II, but this was the first film in which the pair appeared together, and although their only scene together is brief, it's the riveting fulcrum of this high-tech cops-and-robbers scenario. De Niro plays a master thief with highly skilled partners (Val Kilmer and Tom Sizemore) whose latest heist draws the attention of Pacino, playing a seasoned Los Angeles detective whose investigation reveals that cop... More Info about this DVD Director(s): Michael Mann DVD Release Date: Released the 22 February 2005 This item is currently not available.
List Price: $26.98 Your Price: YOU SAVE $26.98!
Buy it
