Brian De Palma
Carlito's Way

Carlito's Way is definitely a film that struck and fascinated me. This movie frustrates and deludes the viewer who hopes until the end that Carlito will be saved... something that ultimately does not happen. Moreover, in my humble opinion, it is ten times superior and much lighter and more fluid than the much-acclaimed film from ten years earlier, "Scarface," also by Brian De Palma. Tony Montana is easy to hate with his arrogant and boastful king-of-the-world behavior, unlike Carlito, who wants to get out of the loop at all costs, even helping the sleazy lawyer, just to escape and become a car rental agent on a remote island in the Caribbean. I greatly appreciated Carlito's choice and hoped until the end that he would make it, but due to the stupidity of the cocaine-addicted lawyer and the betrayal of his henchman Pachanga, he will not. The ending moved me greatly, something that didn't happen in "Scarface." In fact, in that film, when Tony Montana dies, I remained impassive.

Finally, it's worth highlighting the amazing pace and suspense during the mafia chase at the station and the final twist.