A brilliant film that helped define a genre

It's complicated... I really like the directing, acting and writing but, there are issues with the way it's shot that I just can't deny. As much as I love the storytelling and the fantastic performance but, there are also certain scenes that didn't need to exist.

Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

The Making of Carlito's Way (2003)*** 1/2 (out of 4) Very good look at the making of CARLITO'S WAY features interviews with director Brian DePalma, producer Martin Bregman, writer Savid Koepp, editor Bill Pankow and author Edwin Torres who was responsible for the two books that the film is based on. It seems out of the two films that DePalma and Pacino made together that SCARFACE has been the one to take off but I've always felt that CARLITO'S WAY was a much better movie. This is a very good look at the making of the movie from the pre-production all the way to the film's release. Bregman starts off saying that Pacino brought him the screenplay but that he thought it was a piece of junk. Koepp was brought in to combine the two books and then it was taken to DePalma who originally turned it down but decided against it. From here we cover the entire production and the men also discuss various scenes in detail including the opening sequence in the pool hall as well as the big chase at the end. Fans of the film are really going to enjoy this as it covers quite a bit of ground and you'll certainly enjoy hearing all the stories and various issues that came up during the production. The only disappointing thing is that none of the cast are included but this is still very much worth watching.