Pacino and De Palma, together again; but this ain't no Scarface. That's not inherently a negative, just ... good to know, going in. And it's definitely worth a look for Sean Penn's coked-up attorney, you have to squint sometimes to see the actor; he's pretty great (I have to admit, Vice City ruined the character for me; all I could hear was William Fichtner's voice).
It is a good movie overall -- good performances, cast, direction -- but it doesn't *really* get good until the third act, which culminates in a superb subway chase (the staging is exceptional and injects the film with much-needed suspense). Up until that point, I never identified with Carlito or his struggle to escape the business; he was mostly just talk. But was I rooting for him in those last ten minutes?
Yep.
It is a good movie overall -- good performances, cast, direction -- but it doesn't *really* get good until the third act, which culminates in a superb subway chase (the staging is exceptional and injects the film with much-needed suspense). Up until that point, I never identified with Carlito or his struggle to escape the business; he was mostly just talk. But was I rooting for him in those last ten minutes?
Yep.