Carlito´s Way
released 1993
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“Carlito´s Way” is an American, crime, drama, film directed by Brian De Palma and is based on the novels called “Carlito´s Way” and “After Hours” written by Judge Edwin Torres (Judge Edwin Torres is a Puerto Rican New York State Supreme Court Judge and writer) with the film script written by David Koepp. It stars an unbelievably talented cast which includes Al Pacino, Sean Penn, Penelope Ann Miller, John Leguizamo, Ingrid Rogers, Luis Guzman, James Rebhorn, Joseph Siravo, Viggo Mortensen, Richard Foronjy, Jorge Porcel, Frank Minucci, Adrian Pasdar, John Ortiz, Angel Salazar,  Elmonte Salvato, Paul Mazursky, Tera Tabrizi, Vincent Pastore, Marc Anthony, Michael P. Moran, Cindy Birch, Coati Mundi, Cice Rivera, Saundra Santiago, Denise vasquez, Mike Mitchell Jr., Daniel Margotta and many others. Although this brilliant film was not praised enough by the paid critiques it is somewhat of a cult classic for good reasons.

Carlito´s Way IMDb webpage

“Carlito´s Way” is the story of a gangster/criminal named Carlito Brigante, played by Al Pacino, who wants to change his life around after finishing a 5 year prison sentence. He falls in love with an equally flawed dancer named Gail, played by Penelope Ann Miller. This is more than just a love story as we are taken into the criminal world of 1975 Spanish Harlem, New York City, and let me tell you it´s a violent, vicious world. From drug deals to money laundering through night clubs and bars it is without a doubt a predatory world. Carlito also has the law harassing him because they do not believe he has gone straight. The DA played by James Rebhorn is constantly hounding him but the truth is that he did have an epiphany in jail and does want to turn his life around and live a better life. A large part of the story is Carlito navigating a precarious situation and it´s so well done. I really can´t praise Al Pacino enough on the job he did as Carlito.

One theme that is beautifully done and that you find in many gangster movies is the idea of the reformed gangster who tries to leave his criminal lifestyle. In such situations it´s his or her colleagues that try to prevent them from leaving or even kill them. You see this in all aspects of life where, for example, someone from a poor background becomes rich and famous and is sued or defamed by people from his or her ghetto or trailer park. The point here is that the character can be a criminal or an honest and talented person or someone who is helped out of a bad situation. When they try to leave the hell they are in they meet resistance and sometimes even doom.

I cannot say enough that this film really has a fantastic script. So, my big question for this film is what could Carlito have done to succeed in escaping the streets? Now keep in mind that he no longer wanted to be a law breaker so that means no murder or violence or crimes as a solution. He is forced into bad situations where he makes bad, criminal, choices all of which `pull him closer to the ground´ as he says about being sucked into death´s door.

Carlito´s biggest mistake was to associate himself with the people from his past most of whom were criminals. Had he not done that simple mistake, (that is the downfall of so many criminals who want to leave a criminal lifestyle and successful people who leave poverty alike), he would most likely have achieved his dream and left the streets for good. The bad people in his life not only dragged him down but eventually killed him and that´s the sad truth. Throughout the movie my friends and I were rooting for Carlito because his struggle was just. What he failed to realize was that all he had to do to leave the streets was get up and leave NYC, with or without money.

This is also a movie that shows us how trapped and deluded people can be in their false ideas about how the world works and what matters most. Carlito believed that he needed 75,000 USD to escape NYC when in fact all he really needed was the clothes on his back and the sense of mind to leave immediately with Gail. So many people come to the US with just the clothes on their backs and thrive.

All of the criminals  had delusions that quick wealth through crimes and violence leads to happiness, fulfillment and status in their community. That is obviously not true. The people in this movie just like most people everywhere are pulled in the direction of what they worship. Most people want that great job or fat bank account but it is ultimately what we do with our lives and how we treat others that dictates the type of person we become.

This movie is so well done, from the cultural feel of New York City at that place and time to the accents. I felt it even had the old-fashioned feel of NYC in the 70s, with the fashion and night club world. This is not a time in New York´s history that I know personally but it felt accurate to me. The story was also action packed and the characters were so interesting. The character of Benny Blanco `From The Bronx´, played by John Leguizamo, still has me and my friends cracking up laughing.

I cannot recommend “Carlito´s Way” enough. It stood the test of time very well. It´s a movie with mass appeal for good reasons and that is why it´s a cult classic. Definitely, check it out folks.

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