Carlito's Way

If you ever want to watch a force-of-nature performance that will get your blood pumping then just look to any of Al Pacino's work from the 1990s; he went all in and delivered some of his best work. The man is a machine and knows how to go from o to 1000 in a few seconds, and his work in Brian De Palma's Carlito's Way from 1993 is no exception. 

Here, Pacino's criminal, Carlito Brigante, has been released early from prison with some help from his shifty lawyer, played by Sean Penn. It is 1970s and now Carlito wants to make a clean break, leaving behind his criminal friends by doing honest work at a nightclub before planning to jet off somewhere tropical but his dragged back to his old way by friends and former associates.

Running just over two hours, Carlito's Way is a great crime thriller with plenty of memorable moments, particularly in the third act, and boasts a terrific cast but this really is Pacino's show who is perfect in the title role. De Palma wastes no time at all throughout and proves once again to be a master of suspense working alongside Pacino for a second time after Scarface. Yet the director was reluctant to make this for fear of repeating himself and while this isn't quite as iconic as Scarface, this is certainly a crime thriller you will not regret watching if you're a fan of the genre.

Carlito's Way is difficult to fault because I just had such a great time finally watching this and I'm glad to say it lived up to the hype making this an easy recommendation. It has Pacino on fine form and De Palma's visual flair to make for a thrilling experience.