Carlito's Way Review

Carlito's Way is a 1993 crime film directed by Brian De Palma and based on the novels "Carlito's Way" and "After Hours" by Judge Edwin Torres. The film stars Al Pacino as gangster Carlito Brigante and Sean Penn as his sleazy lawyer and best friend, David Kleinfeld. It is a relatively strong gangster film that is sometimes under-looked because of how it received mixed responses from critics after its initial release. The story just catches you right off the bat and doesn't release you until the credits start to roll. It's an engaging flick that had a very underrated and magnificent script that was written by the talented screenwriter, David Koepp.

While it's true that Carlito's Way may not be the strongest gangster film out there, it is still a very solid one that deserves recognition for what its worth. It's an extremely honest and captivating film that gives moviegoers a chance to escape from their normal everyday lives for a couple of hours. De Palma did an incredible job at making a movie that is very easy to enjoy by everyone.

The film is carried by notably strong performances by Al Pacino and Sean Penn. Pacino is strong and charismatic as he is in just about every one of his movies, but it was Penn who won me over in this one. His performance is so superb and effective. His character comes across as repulsive and very dislikeable, but yet it's impossible to look away from him. It is truly great acting from Penn who provided a very Oscar worthy performance. Overall, Carlito's Way is a gangster flick that is enjoyable to watch and just seems to be getting better with age.

Overall Rating: 3.5/5