Clever, Funny, Sad, Good Movie *spoiler*

Rating: 8/10 (12 May 2003)

It's a film with the "awww" factor. I never thought I'd describe a film I liked with the catch-all phrase I hate "touching drama", but this is exactly what it is.
Acting is excellent, but then you shouldn't expect to question Pacino and Depp. I hope they make more films together, as their chemistry is great as a twisted "father and son" odd couple.
Few memorable sequences, including a restaurant scene which ends bloodily, and Pacino slumped in an armchair with a tracksuit on, looking old and tired and sad. His character is kind of ironic, as he thinks he's Movie Pacino, a mafia bigwig, when in actual fact his place in the Mob is quite minimal. Depp plays his role with ambiguity, and at the end I felt his character seemed to have his heart removed, and I think he felt internally sad at bringing down Pacino, as it didn't really mean an awful lot. I remember a lot of silence, and the film stayed with me for quite a while.
Good dialogue, good direction, and altogether a worthwhile experience.