Carlito's Way (1993)

A Puerto Rican former convict, just released from prison, pledges to stay away from drugs and violence despite the pressure around him and lead on to a better life outside of N.Y.C.

Director:

Brian De Palma

Writers:

Edwin Torres (novels), David Koepp (screenplay)

Stars:

Al Pacino, Sean Penn, Penelope Ann Miller

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 2 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Al Pacino	...	Carlito
Sean Penn	...	Kleinfeld
Penelope Ann Miller	...	Gail
John Leguizamo	...	Benny Blanco
Ingrid Rogers	...	Steffie
Luis Guzmán	...	Pachanga (as Luis Guzman)
James Rebhorn	...	Norwalk
Joseph Siravo	...	Vinnie Taglialucci
Viggo Mortensen	...	Lalin
Richard Foronjy	...	Pete Amadesso
Jorge Porcel	...	Saso (Ron)
Frank Minucci	...	Tony Taglialucci
Adrian Pasdar	...	Frankie
John Ortiz	...	Guajiro (as John Augstin Ortiz)
Ángel Salazar	...	Walberto

Storyline

A Puerto Rican ex-con pledges to stay away from his former drug dealing ways but finds himself being dragged back by his past connections and the naive machinations of his lawyer and best friend. Hoping to raise enough money to get away from New York, Carlito Brigante takes on the job of running a nightclub, renews an affair with a dancer but old associates and old instincts suck him back into a world of violence and mistrust.

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Plot Keywords:

mafia | 1970s | nightclub | breasts | female nudity | 

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Taglines:

He wanted out. There was only one way to get there.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong violence, drug content, sexuality and language

Did You Know?

Trivia

The word "fuck" is said a total of 139 times.

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Goofs

In the café, Gail picks up the coffee cup using both hands. In the next shot she's holding it only in one hand.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Carlito: Somebody's pulling me close to the ground... I can sense, but I can't see. I ain't panicked. I've been here before. Same as I got popped on 104th street. Don't take me to no hospital, please. Fuckin' emergency rooms don't save nobody. Sons of bitches pop you at midnight, when all they got is a Chinese intern, with a dull spoon. Oh look at these suckers. Scrambling around... What for? My Puerto Rican ass ain't supposed to have made it this far. Most of my crew got washed a long time...

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Connections

Referenced in Fired Up! (2009)

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Soundtracks

Lady Marmalade
Written by Kenny Nolan and Bob Crewe
Performed by Patti LaBelle (as LaBelle)
Courtesy of Epic Records
By arrangement with Sony Music Licensing

User Reviews

Mind blowing story

What can I say about such a movie? Simply brilliant. I make a point of watching this movie each year and every time I watch it I simply fall in love with it even more. The direction is brilliant as is Pacino's superb on-time acting. Al deserves an Oscar for this flick. As human beings, we love story telling. It's in out nature, and this story is excellent. As mentioned before in a previous review, Carlito's way is Scarface with feeling. Simply involving. I would dare say it does leave you on the edge of your chair with great anticipation, probably due to Pacino's on screen presence and experienced acting mannerisms. Penn, once again is brilliant and shines through as the high-classed, cocaine addicted Kleinfeld. If you have not seen this movie, do yourself a favour. Rent it out, dim the lights, snuggle up tight with your loved one and enjoy one of the greatest movies of all time. 9 out of 10.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

12 November 1993 (USA)

Also Known As:

Carlito's Way

Filming Locations:

Dock Lane, Kings Point, Long Island, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$30,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$9,116,675, 14 November 1993

Gross USA:

$36,948,322

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$63,848,322

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures, Epic Productions, Bregman/Baer Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

144 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Stereo

Color:

Color Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1