Carlito's Way : 8/10
Beware, spoilers.
After my first Lars Von Trier film, I saw my first Brian De Palma film this afternoon. And, at least with this one, I understand why he's considered a great director.
He makes a great film out of a fairly standard story - a former big-time drug dealer who wants to hang it up and redeem himself after getting out of prison. Redemption is an interesting but complex theme, and De Palma manages to strike just the right tone, taking us along with the former gangster caught up in his past…
It's hard to watch Carlito do everything he can to pull himself up from under, to make his dream come true... when no one takes him seriously, not the judge to whom he gives a fiery speech, nor his friends who don't believe in his desire to reinvent himself as a used-cars salesman.
You just get attached to Carlito! Thanks to Al Pacino's talent, of course, but also because the character is well-written, consistent and his (re)actions are coherent - something I come across less and less often, unfortunately. In short, Al Pacino is stunning. Sean Penn is also very good in the role of his crooked lawyer best friend, who is as detestable as you could wish for; on the other hand, I was less convinced by Viggo Mortensen.
Everything is very well directed and filmed, from the magnificent opening sequence to the chase in the Underground & Grand Central Station, which is the best I've seen for a long time, if not the best I've seen at all. The tension is palpable, the pace is perfect, really, it's a great scene. The kind you don't forget.
You know exactly how it's going to end, and yet you can't help hoping. And I have to admit that I was surprised at the end: I'd completely forgotten about Benny Blanco from the Bronx! I was still in the throes of the chase and didn't see it coming at all. My seatmate had a good laugh when he heard me squeal!
Another excellent sequence is the billiards game at the beginning, with Carlito's nephew. De Palma takes his time, setting up his characters, letting the tension build gradually, through the interplay of glances, through the music... Everything is meticulously calculated, and the result is as good as it gets.
The most important thing, in my opinion, is that the direction serves the story. De Palma is a virtuoso, but he doesn't spend his time navel-gazing. The soundtrack is good, even if Joe Cocker's You are so beautiful (which I really like) is a bit of a mismatch... The love story between Carlito and Gail is the only part of the film that disappointed me a little. It's a bit at odds with the rest of the film and sometimes veers into the melodramatic. But it's a minor flaw that doesn't stop Carlito's Way from being an excellent film.
