Scarface

Starring: Al Pacino, Michelle Pfeiffer, Robert Loggia, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio
Directed by: Brian De Palma
Rating: R
Genre: Crime, Drama, Action
1983

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A cuban refugee (Al Pacino) makes his way to America, where he takes shelter under the wing of a big time drug kingpin (Robert Loggia). He quickly moves up in the organization and begins to have plans of taking over the operation and moving up in the drug smuggling world.

Review:

Tim: "All I have in this world is my balls, and my word, and I don't break 'em for no one." That terrific line pretty much sums up the character of Tony Montana, and the amazing performance of Al Pacino. This movie stands as a testament to the acting ability Pacino has. He is mesmerizing, and we have a hard time taking our eyes off of him, even for a second. It is a career-defining performance.

It is very good that Pacino is so excellent here, because the rest of the movie is just your standard rise and fall of a drug kingpin. This might have been new back in '83, but a ton of films have since followed the same path. This also speaks volumes abou the film's influence. However, the movie remains fresh and original today simply because of Pacino.

Violence is a huge part of this movie. No where is that more apparent than the film's "say hello to my 'lil friend" conclusion.

The supporting cast is excellent. Robert Loggia plays his role very well and is very impressive on more than one occassion. Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio interacts extraordinarily well with Pacino and shines on the screen. I wish Michelle Pfeiffer had a little more to do, and was better at what she does do.

Scarface is a classic look at one man's rise from poverty to riches and the terrible fall that was eventually coming to him.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 8.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend:
Serpico, Blow, The Untouchables