Tagarchief: Gangster Films

Carlito’s Way (1993)

Posted on by Jeppe Kleijngeld


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

Directed by:
Brian De Palma

Written by:
David Koepp (screenplay)
Edwin Torres (novels)

Cast:
Al Pacino (Carlito Brigante), Sean Penn (David Kleinfeld), Penelope Ann Miller (Gail), Luis Guzman (Pachanga), Viggo Mortensen (Lalin), James Rebhorn (District Attorney Norwalk), John Leguizamo (Benny Blanco), Joseph Siravo (Vincent Taglialucci), Richard Foronjy (Pete Amadesso), Ingrid Rogers (Steffie)

Brian De Palma’s career is often seen as a mix of brilliant, boundary-pushing filmmaking and controversial, uneven output. About his contributions to the gangster genre (Scarface, The Untouchables, Carlito’s Way), there can be no doubt however: they belong to the absolute best. It’s right up there with Coppola’s and Scorsese’s output.

Carlito’s Way is largely set in the barrio of Manhattan’s Spanish Harlem, one of New York’s tougher areas that is filled with poverty, drugs and Latino gangs. This is the area in which Judge Edwin Torres grew up, who wrote two novels about the main character Carlito Brigante. It seems that in this neighbourhood, there are only two options in life; escape the slumps or join a gang. And those to go for option B have a way bigger chance on an early funeral (Carlito’s cousin) than to rise to the relative top (Carlito).

The Puerto Rican Carlito Brigante (Pacino) was a major heroin dealer before the law caught up with him and locked him up. His slick attorney David Kleinfeld (Penn) gets him an early release due to the DA’s usage of illegal wiretap evidence. The now free and seemingly new man Carlito desperately wants to change his ways. But many players, both old and new, intent to drag Carlito back into the deadly game of crime.

Despite the many temptations, Carlito manages to stay legit. He gets back together with his former girlfriend Gail (Penelope Ann Miller) and cooks up an exit plan. As soon as he has saved sufficient money by running a nightclub, he wants to take Gail to the Bahama’s and start a new life together. But then faith strikes and Carlito is placed in an impossible dilemma from which there is no escape. Kleinfeld – who Carlito feels he owes for giving him a fresh start – is in big trouble and he needs Carlito’s help with a very dangerous task.

The job turns sour, but leaves Carlito with enough cash to escape. It also puts him in a bad position with both the feds and the mob. Both his dream and downfall are now closer than ever.

Although the story of a criminal who wants out is nothing new, Carlito’s Way tells a beautiful tragedy. The deeper layers provide for a much more satisfying viewing experience than a clichéd gangster tale.

The acting is excellent. Pacino is solid as a rock as always, but the real joy here is Sean Penn. He portrays the manic, coke addicted lawyer Kleinfeld to perfection. His haircut deserves a special place in the gallery of wrong.

The finale of Carlito’s Way is an extremely suspenseful showdown with an ending that will leave no viewer unmoved. The fantastic escalator shoot-out – that looks as if Hitchcock could have directed it –is the highlight. It also pays a fitting tribute to the baby carriage scene in The Untouchables, which in turn paid tribute to Sergei Eisenstein’s Battleship Potemkin.

De Palma has delivered a movie that is very rewatchable. Not only is it extremely entertaining, it is also character driven and manages to touch the viewer in the heart. Carlito’s ‘way’ turns out to be a fascinating one.

Rating:

Quote:
CARLITO: “Now I ain’t saying that my way would have been different had my mother been alive when I was a kid, cause that’s just bullshit.”

Trivia:
The exterior of the hospital where Carlito visits his bedridden attorney is the same one where Vito Corleone is taken in The Godfather (1972), also starring Al Pacino.

Brooklyn Rules (2007)

Posted on by Jeppe Kleijngeld


‘Not made to be broken’

Directed by:
Michael Corrente

Written by:
Terence Winter

Cast:
Freddy Prinze Jr. (Michael Turner Jr.), Scott Caan (Carmine Mancuso), Alex Baldwin (Caesar Manganaro), Jerry Ferrara (Bobby Canzoneri), Mena Suvari (Ellen), Monica Keena (Amy), Robert Turano (Mr. Canzoneri), Phyllis Kay (Mrs. Canzoneri), Ursula Abbott (Angela), Paulo Araujo (Young Michael)

The premise of friends growing up in a mob-infested neighborhood is a natural fit for coming-of-age dramas like A Bronx Tale. Brooklyn Rules unfolds against the backdrop of Aniello Dellacroce’s death, a pivotal moment that sparked a violent power struggle within the Gambino crime family.

Amid this turmoil, the film follows three close friends – Michael, Bobby, and Carmine – from their 1974 church service, where a young Michael (Freddie Prinze Jr.) steals from the collection plate, to their complicated lives in 1985. Perhaps because of his early lack of conscience, it’s Carmine (Scott Caan) who gravitates toward the mob, drawn into the orbit of Gambino captain Caesar (Alec Baldwin), a ruthless figure who dominates their neighborhood.

Bobby (Jerry Ferrara), the gentle soul of the group, dreams of a simple life: marrying his girlfriend and becoming a mail clerk. Michael, however, faces a more complex path. Though intelligent enough to attend Columbia and pursue a law career, he finds himself increasingly desensitized to the violence around him. A brutal brawl with a local thug forces the friends to confront their mortality, and Michael’s choices grow darker; stealing from a church is one thing, but murder is another.

Written by Terence Winter, known for his sharp work on The Sopranos, Brooklyn Rules delivers a solid screenplay about friendship, choices, and growing up. While it lacks the razor-sharp edge of The Sopranos, director Michael Corrente compensates with an authentic atmosphere, a stellar soundtrack (featuring ‘Sympathy for the Devil’), and evocative Brooklyn locations.

The trio of lead actors brings their characters to life, making their friendship feel genuine despite some uneven dialogue. The romantic subplot between Michael and Ellen (Mena Suvari of American Beauty) adds a welcome layer to the story. Though not groundbreaking, Brooklyn Rules is a worthy entry in its genre, offering an engaging 90 minutes for viewers.

Rating:

Quote:
MICHAEL: “He got a necklace with a fucking ear on. Cut it of some gook in the war.”

Trivia:
Scott Caan is the son of screen legend James Caan.

TV Dungeon: Corleone

Posted on by Jeppe Kleijngeld

(2007, mini-series, Italy)
AKA: Il capo dei capi

Directed by: Alexis Cahill & Enzo Monteleone

Cast: Claudio Gioè, Daniele Liotti, Simona Cavallari, Salvatore Lazzaro, Gioia Spaziani, Massimo Venturiello, Marco Leonardi

How does one become ‘il capo dei capi’ or boss of all bosses? That question is answered in the mini-series Corleone. In a fifty year period, Toto Riini grows up from little boy in Corleone on Sicily to the highest ranking member of the Sicilian Cosa Nostra (literally ‘Our Thing’). He does so by slowly murdering anybody who opposes him or who has any real power within the Mafia.

The Corleoneses, Toto Riina and his underboss Bernardo Provenzano, are provincial Mafiosi. They join the Mafia at a young age to escape from poverty. They rise to the top of the organisation quickly. In Sicily’s capital Palermo, the Corleoneses are perceived as hicks by the Mafia, but they are smart, ambitious and extremely ruthless as the Palermeans are about to find out. Riina was known as ‘the Beast’. It is a well chosen name considering the extreme high bodycount that can be attributed to him.

The mini-series is based on the book by Giuseppe D’Avanzo and Attilio Bolzoni. The makers wanted to not only show Riini’s rise to power and how he made it to the top, but also show the struggles of the law that wanted to put an end to him and his Mafia. Many judges and policemen died in this decade long battle. That much becomes clear in Corleone. For a long time, the law didn’t stand a real chance, but through sacrifice and perseverance they eventually got results.

To make the distinction between the good side and the evil side, the writers of this mini-series introduced a fictional character in this otherwise largely fact-based story. The true-hearted Biagio Schirò grows up with Riini in Corleone, but rather than becoming a mobster like his friends he joins the police. He follows Riini’s career closely and tries to bring him down, along with many real historical law figures, such as judge Giovanni Falcone. They stand for everything that the mob doesn’t.

In terms of production design, the makers did a good job of capturing the old times on the beautiful Sicily. Dramatically however, the series falls short. There isn’t enough suspense or character development to keep the viewer entertained for six times 100 minutes. Not even close. They could have told this story in a three hour mini-series. Now it quickly becomes repetitious. A shame, because the right basis is there.

Blood In, Blood Out (1993)

Posted on by Jeppe Kleijngeld


‘An epic story of three brothers. Bound by blood. Divided by fate. Driven by destiny.’

Directed by:
Taylor Hackford

Written by:
Ross Thomas (story)
Jimmy Santiago Baca (screenplay)
Jeremy Lacone (screenplay)
Floyd Mutrux (screenplay)

Cast:
Damian Chapa (Miklo), Jesse Borrego (Cruz), Benjamin Bratt (Paco), Enrique Castillo (Montana), Victor Rivers (Magic Mike), Delroy Lindo (Bonafide), Tom Towles (Red Ryder), Carlos Carrasco (Popeye), Teddy Wilson (Wallace), Billy Bob Thornton (Lightning), Lanny Flaherty (Big Al)

Blood In, Blood Out explores the brutal initiation ritual of Latino gangs: to join, one must kill or risk being killed.

Miklo, a half-blatino outsider with white skin and blue eyes, returns to East L.A.’s barrios after a falling out with his Caucasian father. Reuniting with his cousins Paco and Cruz – members of the ‘Vatos Locos’ gang – he faces constant ridicule for his appearance. But when Miklo proves his loyalty by confronting the rival ‘Tres Puntos’ gang, he earns his place with a ‘VL’ tattoo on his hand.

Tragedy strikes soon after: a violent clash with ‘Tres Puntos’ leaves Cruz permanently disabled and Miklo imprisoned for murder. The film’s second act splits into three powerful narratives: Miklo’s harrowing first stint in San Quentin, Cruz’s descent into drug addiction, and Paco’s unexpected career as a narcotics agent.

Director Taylor Hackford delivers a gripping, if slightly overlong (nearly three hours), portrait of Latino life, where crime and poverty loom large, yet family bonds remain unbreakable. Inspired by poet Jimmy Santiago Baca’s real-life experiences, the intertwined stories are compelling and well-crafted, with Miklo’s prison arc standing out as the most gripping.

Jesse Borrego shines as Cruz, delivering a performance that is both heartbreaking and authentic. The film’s rich supporting cast – including standout turns from Danny Trejo and Billy Bob Thornton – adds depth to this intense, entertaining saga. Despite its length, Blood In, Blood Out offers enough raw emotion and drama to hold your attention until the end.

Rating:

Quote:
POPEYE: “Hey, Cinderella, go find yourself a fella, you’re on the clock bitch and midnight is coming, you got the wrong man.”

Trivia:
The original cut for this film lasted five and a half hours.