One of the great anti-heroes

Rating: 9/10 (24 July 2006)

Tony Montana arrives in Miami with a bunch of Cuban refugees and finds himself in a refugee camp eager to get out. He knocks someone off as a favor and is let out as a result. Soon he connects with the Miami underworld and finds himself working his way up. But his seething volatility which initially helps him make his way to the top eventually starts to play against him.
From the very beginning to the end this is a riveting movie. It may be long and uneventful in parts, as is life, but with Al Pacino's fiery performance it is never dull. He is practically every scene and he easily dominates every shot that he is in. Whether his is roaring out profanity or just sitting he gets you. The eyes, the face, and it all makes for one of the great anti-heroes of the fictional world. A good production of Shakespeare's "MacBeth" whether on screen or stage, would have a hard time being better than the vile nature of the title 'hero' here. When you couple that with DePalma's direction it is a film that you simply should not miss. DePalma, already known for his many clever thrillers at the time of this film's release, creates a terrific portrait, both psychological and visceral, of a man so volatile and power hungry that he destroys himself. 9/10
Rated R for strong violence, drug use, and strong profanity