Film Review: Carlito’s Way

Being a big fan of gangster movies Carlito’s Way has long found residence on my IMDB watch list. Director Brian De Palma was responsible for Scarface, one of if not the greatest gangster film ever produced, alongside a whole array of films including The Untouchables and Mission: Impossible, so I was hopeful Carlito’s Way would follow suit. I was however sadly disappointed.

If you’re not familiar with the film it follows an ex-criminal (Al Pacino) who gets released five years into thirty year jail sentence. Feeling like he’s been given a new lease of life, an opportunity to start a fresh, he tries to avoid the vices of his previous life but his reputation in the business and the pressure from friends threaten his quest. The storyline sounded legitimate enough and with the cast and director behind it, I was pumped to watch, but from the offset I couldn’t help but dislike.

One of my biggest jibes was the acting. Sean Penn and Al Pacino have had their day and on that day they were top draw actors but Pacino has long been stuck in some postnatal, post-Scarface state that forces him to portray the same character in everything. Fair enough the accent was different but if I hadn’t of known better, I could’ve easily made the assumption Carlito was a post Godfather II Michael Corleone or Tony Montana at his peak, his range of portrayals hardly stretches the imagination. Pacino also gives me the impression that he’s drunk out of his mind in half of his scenes as he sarcastically shouts his lines out. Luis Guzman also bares the brunt of my disappointment, I mean Luis Guzman, the guy that often plays the role of a clumsy oaf not a hardcore criminal, his whole performance was massively disappointing alongside the majority of the cast bar Johnny Leguizamo, who I thought was refreshing and brought some well needed gangster grit to the film.

But you can’t entirely blame the cast, the script comes up with some beautiful moments, “Charlie, where’s my cheesecake?!” was my personal favourite.

The picture above summaries to me how ridiculous Carlito’s Way gets. This guy used to be a legend in the criminal underworld yet he panics about getting his hair wet so much that he’s forced to use a dustbin lid to shield his hair. To even think the lid is going to offer any substantial protection from the rain is ridiculous, to actually go and do it is even more so.

Fortunately the film starts to pick up halfway through where this legendary character starts showing some of his past graphic lifestyle, what I tuned in for, with Penn largely contributing to this upheaval as the story takes a turn away from a series of soppy dramas between Pacino and an ex-lover. However the ending brings us all crashing back down to earth with a comical catch the pigeon esque chase.

Overall the film takes itself far too seriously, this legendary character Carlito seems too weak to carry the storyline as I was never led to truly believe his character used to be this kingpin. The story’s premise is also rather weak, boiling down to a simple waiting game as Carlito accumulates his $75,000, not the most exciting idea to base the storyline on, especially as Carlito’s desperation and desire to accumulate the amount is never built up. Some films pass by at ease whilst Carlito’s Way drags you by your bollocks over a gigantic cheese grater, the film didn’t feel adventurous nor exciting and I was constantly waiting for the film to actually begin.

4/10

January Film Releases 2013

Last year was a fantastic year for film. I know someone says it every year but it truly was in my eyes. Big blockbusters such as The Avengers, The Dark Knight Rises and Skyfall were all great successes but it was also a year that I found myself engaging with films on a whole new level. Kick starting this year we have an incredible January line-up, so many films which hold a certain degree of promise, yet so little time to exploit the Orange two for one deal. Anyway, let us begin.

Gangster Squad

Release Date: 10th January

Now, I’m a big fan of gangster films, be it based on the mafia  or set in the ghetto, I’ve always found them easy to enjoy. However when directors try to shift the attention from the wrong to the right side of the law I’ve found them uncomfortable watches. Gangster films from a criminals perspective are brilliant because the antagonist is crooked, reckless, immoral, they’re generally exciting to watch, but when a director tries to put law enforces in the same position it’s usually entirely the opposite. Although this film uses that perspective, it looks like a quality piece that could change my crude judgment. Firstly it has a sterling cast, John Brolin and Sean Penn are the standouts and from what I’ve seen of them so far, look like they’re going to carry the film. Secondly the cinematography looks plain fantastic and the actions scenes look rather intense which, from the trailer, promise to be regular features. There is a feel of the Untouchables to Gangster Squad which, although I wasn’t a massive fan of, doesn’t discourage me from seeing it in the cinema.

Django Unchained

Release Date: 18th January

If you’ve been to the cinema over the past couple of months you can’t help but to have noticed Django Unchained, it’s pre-release presence has been massive. One of the most significant aspects to note is the director, one Quentin Tarantino. Directors often find it hard to become household names but Tarantino has firmly established himself as one of the best directors around. His films never seem to follow the conventional lines of movie making, with obscure plots and a strange sense of humour which, entwined with scenes of intense action and gore, always seems to gain critical acclaim. Django Unchained follows that pattern. At the heart of the film there’s a serious story set in the pre-Civil War period about a freed slave (Jamie Foxx) who assists mentor (Christopher Waltz) in accomplishing bounties, eventually leading the freed slave to  free his wife from a plantation owner (Leonardo DiCaprio) but the film still promises to live up to the catalogue of Tarantino films. Like most big blockbusters, Django Unchained has already been released in the USA where it has been met with positive reviews. There has been a slight dispute over the excess racism and the positive view of slavery the film promotes but they don’t seem to be massive issues. With Tarantino, a quality ensemble of actors and even a cheeky cameo from Jonah Hill, what more could you ask for?

The Last Stand

Release Date: 25th January

I can be certain this won’t be my favourite film of the year, never mind the month. It won’t win any Oscars or any praises for being a innovatory film but there’s one thing I can be certain of, it’s going to be an Arnie classic. I’m a massive fan of the Schwarzenegger, he might not be the best actor around but he’s my favourite worst actor of all time. The film promises to be a classic standoff of epic proportions, involving the sheriff of a town near the Mexican border facing off against a mob of gangsters looking to escape persecution by passing through the sleepy town into Mexico. What makes this film even more exciting is that it’s Arnie’s first leading role since leaving the Terminator series in 2003.

Lincoln

Release Date: 25th January

No, somebody’s not decided to make a film about the most disgusting place on the planet to live, instead it’s the latest film by award-winning director Steven Spielberg. Lincoln is set in nineteenth century America as the Civil War rages on American president Abraham Lincoln battles in Congress to forever ban slavery from within American borders, one of the most important events in American history that promises to produce an epic film. It features some class acting talent from Lee Pace (or King Thranduil as I will forever know him), Tommy Lee Jones with a rather peculiar hair piece, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and star man Daniel Day-Lewis. Spielberg has been playing with the idea of this film for many years, even stating that he’d scrap the entire project if he couldn’t get his man Daniel Day-Lewis to play the lead role. Being a history buff with the film covering such a significant event, possessing a sterling cast and director, Lincoln promises to be a quality drama, an epic, it’s definitely my most sought after film this January.

Zero Dark Thirty

Release Date: 25th January

From the director of Hurt Locker, we have one of the most controversial and intriguing film releases of the year. Zero Dark Thirty follows the events that led to Osama Bin Laden’s death, seen through the eyes of CIA operative Maya (Jessica Chastain). Jessica appears to take the lead role as a strong, dominant female character in her stride, promising to steal the show. The concept of the film is one that’s attracted a fair bit of attention due to its importance over the  past couple of years. This could work against the film, as the focal point is obviously the eventual operation that led to Osama Bin Laden’s death so it beckons the question whether the film can carry the pace for the entire 150 minutes. Although there’s the fear there’s going to be far too much drama and not enough action I do look forward to seeing how director Kathryn Bigelow interprets the build up to this important event.