Directed by Brian de Palma and starring Al Pacino, Sean Penn, Penelope Ann Miller, and John Leguizamo, Carlito’s Way ($10) is a gritty crime drama that’ll have you rooting for Al all the way to his inevitable end. It follows the story of Carlito (Al Pacino), a former Puerto Rican gangster, freshly released from jail, who pledges to remain far from violence and drugs in spite of the pressure that surrounds him. His goal is to find a life that’s better outside of New York City, but his brother, his sleazy lawyer (Sean Penn) and the mob aren’t going to let him go so easily. Carlito’s way is a superbly made gangster movie and if you ever wondered where the line “I’m Reloaded” came from in Jay-Z’s intro to his song “Brooklyn’s Finest” now you know.
