I love gangster dramas so I've been meaning to watch Scarface for a long time. If there's one reason to watch Scarface, it's for Al Pacino's performance.
Scarface follows Tony Montana, a Cuban immigrant who arrives in Miami with nothing and goes on to become a powerful drug lord.
Scarface has a lot going for it and it's very loud in its presentation of its story. Director Brian De Palma did not hold back with the film's violence and drug use which I liked as it added to the stakes of the crime world. The excessive and loud tone of this film worked in some ways and didn't in others. The over-the-top treatment of the story made the film consistently entertaining through its long 2 hour 50 minute runtime without having a single boring moment. The over-the-top nature of the film may have been intentional but it's something I'm not too sure on as it made some scenes, particularly the ending, very comical. Oliver Stone's screenplay is filled with great and iconic dialogues that keep the characters fun and interesting. The production design is grand and fits the film's bombastic personality very well. The music is also something I'm mixed on. At times, the music fits well with the 1980's time period but some of it comes off as very cheesy looking at it from today's point of view.
What really kept the film going for me though was Al Pacino's performance. Pacino is fantastic as Tony Montana and brings forth the brutal and commanding presence of the character very well. I'll admit he's very over-the-top but the rest of the film is seemingly in the same tone which is why I think it works. Michelle Pfeiffer also does a good job essaying the role of a bored trophy wife. Steven Bauer is also great as Tony's friend, Manny. Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio was one of the standouts to me as Tony's sister, Gina, and conveyed the trouble she was going through very well.
Scarface is a very entertaining gangster flick. It's got elements that may not hold up as well today and its excessive portrayal of the story can be divisive amongst viewers but I think it's definitely worth a watch regardless.
Scarface follows Tony Montana, a Cuban immigrant who arrives in Miami with nothing and goes on to become a powerful drug lord.
Scarface has a lot going for it and it's very loud in its presentation of its story. Director Brian De Palma did not hold back with the film's violence and drug use which I liked as it added to the stakes of the crime world. The excessive and loud tone of this film worked in some ways and didn't in others. The over-the-top treatment of the story made the film consistently entertaining through its long 2 hour 50 minute runtime without having a single boring moment. The over-the-top nature of the film may have been intentional but it's something I'm not too sure on as it made some scenes, particularly the ending, very comical. Oliver Stone's screenplay is filled with great and iconic dialogues that keep the characters fun and interesting. The production design is grand and fits the film's bombastic personality very well. The music is also something I'm mixed on. At times, the music fits well with the 1980's time period but some of it comes off as very cheesy looking at it from today's point of view.
What really kept the film going for me though was Al Pacino's performance. Pacino is fantastic as Tony Montana and brings forth the brutal and commanding presence of the character very well. I'll admit he's very over-the-top but the rest of the film is seemingly in the same tone which is why I think it works. Michelle Pfeiffer also does a good job essaying the role of a bored trophy wife. Steven Bauer is also great as Tony's friend, Manny. Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio was one of the standouts to me as Tony's sister, Gina, and conveyed the trouble she was going through very well.
Scarface is a very entertaining gangster flick. It's got elements that may not hold up as well today and its excessive portrayal of the story can be divisive amongst viewers but I think it's definitely worth a watch regardless.