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Scarface

Scarface

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Face To Face
Review: 1983's Scarface is a remake of the 1932 gangster classic that starred Paul Muni. Al Pacino gives a way over the top performance (including his much imitated Cuban accent) as Cuban refugee Tony Montana. He arrives in Miami with his friend Manny Ray (Steven Bauer) and proceeds to build an empire built on the trafficking of cocaine. But Tony is addicted to the white powder and it fuels his judgement which is poor in relationships with others. He crosses one too many people and in the end suffers a bloody fate. Blood is a prevalent aspect to film as it is an extremely violent and graphic movie. While some may see the film as gratuitously violent, the characters are underworld criminals and brutal violence is a part of and a way of their lives. Director Brian De Palma perfectly captures the colorful, sun-drenched hedonism of Miami and Oliver Stone's script is filled with detail. The rest of cast is very good including Robert Loggia and a young Michelle Pfeiffer in one of her first roles as Tony's wife. The one drawback to Scarface is that is much longer than necessary. It is nearly three hours longs and it drags in places, if Mr. De Palma would have trimmed off about a half-hour, the film would be nearly brilliant.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Stylish, Visceral And Classic.
Review: "Scarface" has grown into the realm of cult status since it's original release, it is one of those films which was not a blockbuster smash upon release, instead it's value and importance was determined with the passage of time. This is the case with many great films, while "Titanic" isn't talked about as much as when it first came out and broke records, "Scarface" is always a popular favorite and is always cited as an influence on the popular culture. The story is the criminal angle of the American dream: Tony Montana (Al Pacino) arrives on Miami's shores with the large wave of Cuban immigrants who arrived in the early 80's, soon he makes contact in the world of the cocaine trade and rises in it's ranks, ending-up taking over his boss' organization (and mistress played by Michelle Pfeiffer), but the world of lavish excess is also the instrument of his downfall. "Scarface" remains a stylish, vibrant movie, it is one of those few crime pictures where the set design and story work side by side. The screenplay is by Oliver Stone, who himself was living in the world of cocaine-snorting in Hollywood and wrote the script as a goodbye to the vice, is fascinating in it's exploration of the criminal underworld and at the same time tells a highly entertaining, well-crafted story of a man's desire to find success and his downfall brought by the excesses of that success. Director Brian DePalma films the movie with energy and craft, with vibrant colors and a pacing that makes the movie long, but not slow. Al Pacino delivers one of his great performances, he is always on the edge, intense and incredibly convincing. Some have accused the performance of being over-the top, but that's where these characters live. The movie was also first attacked for it's violence, and today some still consider it pretty heavy, but the violence the movie portrays is real. Anyone who watches the news or keeps themselves informed knows the violence in this movie is an everyday reality in the world of the drug trade. In the years since the movie first premiered, "Scarface" has proven to be highly influential, the new DVD edition features a fascinating documentary on the movie's influence on the hip-hop culture who apparently uses this movie as base for ethics and style. For movie buffs it's a great story that's well-made and expertly performed and written, just look at the great ending! "Scarface" is a bonafide American classic.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Scarface
Review: First is the rather annoying operatic feel of the movie , everything is grandiose and over the top . Every set is massive as the camera pans out showing us the sets . People don`t just take a line of cocaine , they fall face down in a massive mound of the drug .

The second flaw is Tony Montana`s motivation . He cares about children deeply ( It`s this that leads to his downfall ) but nothing in Oliver Stone`s script explains why he`s so caring about little ones . It`s an obvious redemption plot . He cares . End . No explanation . It`s never really explained either why Tony wants to keep his sister away from all men

SCARFACE does have some really good points . I never once thought I was watching Pacino act because Pacino IS Montana and all the other performances are good . Despite the flaws of the script the dialogue is highly quotable with lines like " I bet you aint been f***ed all year " and " Say hello to my little friend " . A shame the gut wrenching violence is too overblown to be credible or disturbing .

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Words Cant Describe
Review: Ah scarface, one of the most violent and profanity filled movies of all time. Its also one of the best. Pacino gives a great and unforgetable performance as Tony Montana, a cuban immigrant to the U.S. Tony becomes involved with drug rings and eventually takes over his former "Boss"es operation. If your a fan of gangster films and you've never seen Scarface then you cant really call yourself a gangster movie fan. This one ranks up there with the Godfather and Goodfellas. So if you havent seen Scarface, go out and buy it right now.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: His Name Is Tony...
Review: Actor Al Pacino gives a powerhouse performance in 1983's SCARFACE. Paciino plays Tony Montana, a Cuban refugee hoodlum, who quickly rises to the top of Miami's cocaine industry. On his way to the top, Tony uses any means at his disposal to get there, no matter who he hurts or betrays in the process. Pacino takes hold of the character and never lets you forget that he is "Scarface". The supporting cast is wonderful too. It features Steven Bauer, as Tony's right hand man, "Manny" Ray. Michelle Pfeiffer is Tony's girl, Elvira, and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, in a role early in her acting career, plays Gina, Tony's sister.

The hard-edged script for the film is written by Oliver Stone, who holds nothing back, as usual Directed by Brian De Palma, the movie doesn't flinch at all to tell its story. The film remains a favorite of mine and will leave you with quite a lasting impression. A "remake" of 1932's SCARFACE, in name only, the film is nearly flawless.

The "Collector's Edition" contains a feature length retrospective documentary, that is so well done, you almost forget that there is no commentary track. It is very comprehensive and covers all aspects of the film and its place in cinema history. There's also a number of deleted scenes and outtakes that were nice to see. These fine extras add up to one heck of a DVD for one of the best gangster movies ever made. SCARFACE should not be missed and comes highly recommended.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: AWESOME!
Review: This movie is the best movie I have ever seen! Al Pacino is the best. No other person could have played the role like good old Al Pacino-the king of gangster movies! He did it so well-He is my favorite actor! AL PACINO, YOU ROCK! AWESOME JOB! This is the best movie. It is a ganster movie about a Cuban immigrant's rise to the top of the cocaine industry. It is awesome, the 160+ F-bombs, the gun fights, the night clubs, the babes! This is the best gangster movie ever made, with the awesomist lines like "Say hello to my little friend!" and "You got that like in your eye, like you haven't been f***ed in a year!" and "You think you can take me?! You need a f***ing army you gonna take me, I'm Tony Montana! When you F*** with me, you're f***ing with the best!" This movie is awesome, I give it 10 stars, and two thumbs up. Once I finished watching it for the first time, I wanted to watch it again and again, especially the end gun scene! It is so awesome! Awesome movie! AL PACINO MADE THE MOVIE! AL PACINO, YOU ARE THE BEST!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Stylish, Visceral And Classic.
Review: "Scarface" has grown into the realm of cult status since it's original release, it is one of those films which was not a blockbuster smash upon release, instead it's value and importance was determined with the passage of time. This is the case with many great films, while "Titanic" isn't talked about as much as when it first came out and broke records, "Scarface" is always a popular favorite and is always cited as an influence on the popular culture. The story is the criminal angle of the American dream: Tony Montana (Al Pacino) arrives on Miami's shores with the large wave of Cuban immigrants who arrived in the early 80's, soon he makes contact in the world of the cocaine trade and rises in it's ranks, ending-up taking over his boss' organization (and mistress played by Michelle Pfeiffer), but the world of lavish excess is also the instrument of his downfall. "Scarface" remains a stylish, vibrant movie, it is one of those few crime pictures where the set design and story work side by side. The screenplay is by Oliver Stone, who himself was living in the world of cocaine-snorting in Hollywood and wrote the script as a goodbye to the vice, is fascinating in it's exploration of the criminal underworld and at the same time tells a highly entertaining, well-crafted story of a man's desire to find success and his downfall brought by the excesses of that success. Director Brian DePalma films the movie with energy and craft, with vibrant colors and a pacing that makes the movie long, but not slow. Al Pacino delivers one of his great performances, he is always on the edge, intense and incredibly convincing. Some have accused the performance of being over-the top, but that's where these characters live. The movie was also first attacked for it's violence, and today some still consider it pretty heavy, but the violence the movie portrays is real. Anyone who watches the news or keeps themselves informed knows the violence in this movie is an everyday reality in the world of the drug trade. In the years since the movie first premiered, "Scarface" has proven to be highly influential, the new DVD edition features a fascinating documentary on the movie's influence on the hip-hop culture who apparently uses this movie as base for ethics and style. For movie buffs it's a great story that's well-made and expertly performed and written, just look at the great ending! "Scarface" is a bonafide American classic.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Say hello to my little friend
Review: Where was the cops during this movie. Tony brutally shot a gangster in the street and got away with it. He then blows away a mansion full of cubans carrying Sub-Machine guns.

WHERE'S THE REALNESS

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Say hello to my lil friend.
Review: The Scarface box set is a masterpeace from Brian De Palma and Universal. If you love Al Pacino this is the movie for you, it also has some other great actors such as Michelle Pfeiffer and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio. This is the best gangster movie in the history of movies, take my word for it and if you dont go rent it or buy it. One of my favorite things about this movie is the chainsaw scene, it is pretty graphic for its time but will leave you with a not so good feeling if you are a weak person. So if your not into gangster movies or blood and gore at least watch it for the story line its one of the best.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Memorable character trapped in unremarkable action movie
Review: After watching the documentary on this 20th Anniversary Special Edition DVD of Brian De Palma's SCARFACE detailing how this movie has been an influence on gangsta rappers, I could certainly understand why this movie has become a gangster film classic. It certainly has a memorable main character, Tony Montana, masterfully played by the ever-so-versatile Al Pacino. Montana is a magnetic but deeply flawed individual who gets lucky, gets rich, and then gets greedy (which destroys him), and Pacino does a good job in bringing out the man's magnetism without making us truly like him exactly. And on a technical level it is well-made, with bright, colorful cinematography by John Alonzo to accentuate the '80s flash (and perhaps its lack of substance).

And yet after the final gun battle was over and Tony Montana had received his deadly comeuppance, the overall impression I got out of SCARFACE was of a generally unremarkable, overlong action movie with some heavy-handed, unsubtle drama beneath. I guess I just didn't buy the bloated operatic style De Palma employed in this film, and as usual with some of his speeches, screenwriter Oliver Stone has the subtlety of a sledgehammer (sometimes it works, but sometimes it makes you wince, like it does here). "Nothing exceeds like excess," says Michelle Pfeiffer's character Elvira in the movie, and De Palma seems to have followed that in SCARFACE---to the film's detriment, I think. THE GODFATHER and GOODFELLAS are undoubtedly still your best bet if you are looking for great gangster movies. SCARFACE seems distinctly second-rate in that company, despite Pacino's notable performance (and I didn't mind his Cuban accent at all).


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