MOVIE REVIEW : ‘Carlito’s Way’ Avoids the Curves

“Carlito’s Way” is right down the middle of the road, and that is something of a surprise. A mid-level commercial thriller, it is a solid and acceptable if not overwhelmingly exciting piece of work from a star and a director not previously known for their centrist tendencies.

For both Al Pacino (who won an Oscar last time out with “Scent of a Woman”) and Brian De Palma (“Scarface,” “The Untouchables”) are folks who ordinarily spend as much time hanging far above the rim as any NBA all-star. When it comes to the virtuoso aspects of cinematic excess, they have always stood up to be counted.

“Carlito’s Way” (AMC Century 14) does have its share of skillfully done surface flash, but the film lacks the energy and originality to make a lasting impression. And its best feature, a finely paced final half-hour, is half an hour too late in coming, victimized by a 2-hour-and-25-minute length it doesn’t have the wherewithal to carry.

Definitely not the shy type, Carlito Brigante (Pacino) tells his own story in an extensive voice-over. Introduced (in an elegant prologue beautifully shot in black and white by cinematographer Stephen H. Burum) at a moment of crisis in his life, Carlito flashes back to 1975 and one of his few triumphant days in court.

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Released early from a prison sentence because of the work of attorney David Kleinfeld (Sean Penn) in exposing the state’s use of illegally obtained evidence, Carlito tells the judge that after 25 years on the street he is finally rehabilitated.

“I am through walking on the wild side,” he says with enough flourish to make one think that maybe he has chosen acting as a second career. But no, Carlito’s dream is to save enough money to buy into a friend’s car-rental franchise in the Bahamas. As he explains to a dubious Kleinfeld (Penn almost unrecognizable in glasses and a halo of thinning frizzy hair), “Car rental guys don’t get killed that much.”

Serious enough about going straight to take a job, Carlito ends up managing a hot club called El Paradiso to help raise his getaway money. But as a former legend in the East Harlem drug trade, once known as (no kidding) “the J.P. Morgan of the smack business,” he finds it difficult to leave his past behind. “I don’t invite this stuff,” he says after one particularly violent incident. “It runs after me.”

As the volatile Carlito, Pacino also has his ups and downs. While his opening courtroom scenes raise the fear that both his Latino accent and his performance will carom out of control, Pacino for the most part keeps a good grip on his character. He’s always had presence to burn, and when he calms down some of his speeches, like his confession that “you don’t get reformed, you just run out of wind,” are quite effective.

Carlito’s story, the tale of a man whose code of honor is outmoded, who comes out of prison to find he doesn’t know who he can trust, is as familiar as it sounds. Not helping things are the giveaway lines screenwriter David Koepp (working from a pair of novels by Edwin Torres) keeps putting in people’s mouths. Anytime anyone says, “This is going to be no problem” or “I got a good feeling about this” or “I just got to do this one thing,” it gets increasingly difficult not to lose control and yell, “Wrong, wrong, wrong!” at the screen.

Equally by the book is Carlito’s love affair with Gail (Penelope Ann Miller), an old flame who calls him Charlie and sees that he is a swell fellow underneath the dross of the street. Miller works hard to make the part believable, but finally the role fits too snugly into the traditional “exotic dancer with a heart of gold” category to allow for much genuine impact.

The same thing could be said of the entire production. Although De Palma, always the complete professional, commits no missteps with “Carlito” (rated R for strong violence, drug content, sexuality and language), no major spark of excitement or passion energizes it as it does the best of his work.

This is simply a durable film that won’t drive you crazy one way or the other, and, with Brian De Palma, that is not necessarily the best of situations.

‘Carlito’s Way’

Al Pacino: Carlito Brigante

Sean Penn: David Kleinfeld

Penelope Ann Miller: Gail

Luis Guzman: Pachanga

John Leguizamo: Benny Blanco

Ingrid Rogers: Steffie

An Epic Productions and Bregman/Baer production, released by Universal Pictures. Director Brian De Palma. Producers Martin Bregman, Willi Baer, Michael S. Bregman. Executive producers Louis A. Stroller, Ortwin Freyermuth. Screenplay David Koepp, based on the novels “Carlito’s Way” and “After Hours” by Edwin Torres. Cinematographer Stephen H. Burum. Editors Bill Pankow and Kristina Boden. Costumes Aude Bronson-Howard. Music Patrick Doyle. Production design Richard Sylbert. Art director Gregory Bolton. Set decorator Leslie A. Pope. Running time: 2 hours, 25 minutes.

MPAA-rated R (strong violence, drug content, sexuality and language).