The pacing was a bit slow at times and I didn't like the ending very much. Partly because the beginning spoiled the ending. Don't know why they did it like this. Other than that it is a good film, but with some flaws.

An excellent mob movie with a brilliant cast. Pacino and Penn deliver as expected as does the rest of the cast. The story feels real, as if it could have happened like that. The characters are not over the top but rather human and realistic. Just a great movie that has its own personality.

_Carlito’s Way_ is De Palma and Pacino teaming up again, but this time they flip the _Scarface_ formula on its head. It’s not about a man being swallowed by the gangster lifestyle; it’s about a man desperately trying to stay out of it. This shift gives the film a more grounded tone for De Palma, even though he still bookends the story with two excellent set pieces: the bar shootout up front and the third act chase that feels like a spiritual cousin to some of the nail biting sequences from _Blow Out_. Everything in between is basically a character study, and thankfully the cast carries that weight with ease. Pacino is great, but Sean Penn and Penelope Ann Miller honestly steal a lot of scenes. Penn’s physical transformation contrasted with how his character unravels is perfect. Miller isn’t just a romantic prop either; she’s the film’s embodiment of hope, and her introduction scene is gorgeous filmmaking. What the film nails is Carlito’s impossible situation. He knows cutting off his old circle could save him, but he’s simply unable to do it. That tension of habit, loyalty, and guilt pulling him back in is the whole tragedy. And Benny Blanco drives the final nail: even when you think you’re out, something from the past comes back to finish the job. What makes it extra bitter is that Carlito’s new code—his attempt to be merciful, to give someone like Blanco a break—is the very thing that gets him killed. His hard-earned growth becomes the trapdoor that opens beneath him. It’s a sad, cruel ending, especially because Carlito is so easy to root for. However, De Palma undercuts himself with two choices: opening with the ending (which kills a lot of tension and makes the film needlessly predictable, especially with so much of the film hinging on whether Carlito will fall back into his old ways) and using narration that constantly spells out subtext the film already communicates perfectly well. The Vice City-style tropical-disco vibe is as well captured as it was in _Scarface_, but the score doesn’t stand out this time around. Still, this is overall a pretty, stylish tragedy about how some worlds never let you leave. 6.5/10

The opening sequence had me check to see if this movie was any good, almost stopped watching. Best part of the movie was the last 20 minutes.

An ex-drug dealet can not flee from him past.