Free after years in prison, Carlito Brigante intends to give up his criminal ways, but it's not long before the ex-con is sucked back into the New York City underworld. Reconnecting with his dancer girlfriend, Carlito gets entangled in the shady dealings of his friend Dave Kleinfeld, who also serves as his lawyer. An encounter with shifty gangster Benny Blanco sets the duo on a dangerous path.
"Carlito's Way" is best watched as lively, colorful posturing and as a fine demonstration of this director's bravura visual style.
– Janet Maslin,
New York Times,
20 May 2003
fresh:
"Carlito's Way," like "Scarface," is first and last a character study, a portrait of a man who wants to be better than he is.
– Roger Ebert,
Chicago Sun-Times,
1 Jan 2000
rotten:
About halfway through, the overwhelming fact that the movie is a complete nothing becomes too much to ignore.
– Hal Hinson,
Washington Post,
1 Jan 2000
rotten:
Pacino has his moments but for the most part he's surprisingly underwhelming. He's a great actor but even I can do a better Puerto Rican accent.
– Desson Thomson,
Washington Post,
1 Jan 2000
fresh:
Pacino looks every inch a movie star, and De Palma provides a timely reminder of just how impoverished the Hollywood lexicon has become since the glory days of the '70s.