They all Want to Whack You!

I watched Brian De Palma's "Carlito's Way," last night. I remember seeing it when it orginally came out in 1993. I always thought it was a well-made movie, I kind of saw it as a tamer retread of "Scarface," the joyfully, delerious, over the top coke-fest scripted by Oliver Stone. Today, I'm here to claim that "Carlito's Way," is one of the great movies of the 90's. What a beautifully filmed piece. It's odd and surreal, with incredible color and dizzying camera moves. Al Pacino (of course), can do Italian, he can do Puerto Rican. He's sort of campy, and strangely authentic at the same time. Also Sean Penn as the Jewish lawyer is an incredible treat. There are movie cliches galore, but that's part of the joy. We know this story, it plays out like all good tragedies...we see a man, so human, inexorably moving towards his doom (can he make it to Paradise before his past catches up to him?) - "everyone ends up as they are."

De Palma, an absolute master, is in total command. Pacino, as Carlito Brigante provides a voice-over narration...as a word-smith myself, I'm a sucker for voice-over. I love how the technique distances us, and pulls us in at the same time. Anyway, this morning I quote two gems from the great Carlito Brigante:

"A favor can kill you faster than a bullet."

"You get old enough, everyone has a reason to whack you."

sunnyjimmy: Yeah, two more reasons to follow that dream...wherever it leads...and damn the torpedos...