CinemaSerf

Aug 29, 2026

7.0

Talk about swimming through treacle? "Carlito" (Al Pacino) has a pretty murky past when he is released from jail after five years (of thirty - on a technicality), but now free he is determined to hook up with his gal "Gail" (Penelope Ann Miller) and steer clear of the riff-raff he'd hitherto associated with. Easier said than done, though, when he almost immediately gets caught up in a gun fight with some drug pedlars and then embroiled in the complicated activities of his lawyer (Sean Penn) whose connections with the underworld are no less established than those of "Carlito" himself. What chance he can achieve his dream? On that front there is little by way of guesswork required - not least because we start where we finish, but unlike with so many films from this genre there is something more celebral about the characterisation of "Carlito". No, he's not a decent nor upstanding pillar of any community - even a criminal one, but he is a man of principle who is prepared to fight for what and who he wants. That puts him at odds with erstwhile allies whilst also exposing him to the machinations of a district attorney (James Rebhorn) who will happily use him regardless of the risk to him or "Gail" . There is ruthlessness here, but it isn't so much graphic as implied and as the poacher becomes something of the poached, Pacino exposes a vulnerability to his persona that almost has us feeling a bit of sympathy for his "Carlito". I felt as if I wanted him to sail off into the sunset happily at the end - after quite a tense cat and mouse game on the subway. Penn also works well here depicting an unpleasant yet magnetic sleaze-bag so deep in a mire of his own making that you just know he can drag anyone down with him. The camerawork doesn't overdo the POV style of intimacy which I find can be annoying at times, and with a score from Patrick Doyle that complements the steady pace of this gritty but still personable and enjoyably mature affair, this is a superior glimpse into the unforgiving underbelly of our society.

This movie feels off most of the time. The story is fine on paper, but almost all scenes lack soul. You see what is happening and it turns you off on a subconscious level. You know what they are trying to do, you have seen these kind of scenes, but they just don't work here. Its like an uncanny valley. Its the gangster movie your mom says you have at home, when you're trying to get her to buy you The Godfather, Donnie Brasco or Scarface. The start is already weird. We see the protagonist being shot and lying on a train platform dying . Sad strings play maudlinly, people rush to help, but you don't care. The movie hasn't even gone a minute. You don't know the characters, you just recognize Al Pacino. The dramatic intent fizzles out in 10 s, you are already bored and asking yourself why the director (or writer) does not know the first thing about writing. We need to know and care for the character to feel empathy for him, but we don't. Then there is a slow rotating camera for a minute or two. The director probably thought he was really clever - but he is not. Its just form over function. Just because you can, you shouldn't. I don't think even in 1993 anyone was impressed with this. Anyway, this goes on for 2,5 hours. You barely care about anything. There are 2-3 scenes that are actually entertaining, but all of them have been done before and better. P.S.Most of the actors are actually good but are wasted on this movie. Are you going to waste your time?