A Good Movie But Not a Great One

Rating: 7/10 (23 March 2006)

"Scarface" is a good movie, but not a great one. There are a number of good scenes and good performances, but some definite flaws. It is certainly an entertaining effort, especially early on, starting with the interview of the surly Cuban immigrant, Tony Montana (Al Pacino) by skeptical US officials. Soon thereafter comes the horrific chainsaw execution of his partner at a Miami drug deal gone about as bad as one can go. Here, we witness the first lapse in judgment by Montana's close friend, Manny (Steven Bauer), who flirts with a blonde in a bikini instead of providing immediate backup as one of his friends is brutally killed and the other (Tony) is just about to face the same fate. We are then introduced to small time coke dealer Frank Lopez (Robert Loggia) and his beautiful girlfriend, Elvira (Michelle Pfeiffer). Tony is bowled over by her charms and decides almost immediately that he must possess this woman, no matter what the risk. However, the supposed sexual chemistry that should be evident between them is unconvincing. His motivation comes off more like some sort of business deal or arrangement than anything else. He thinks Elvira is "a tiger" and wants her to be the mother of his children, yet he doesn't seem to have any great physical desire for her. This is definitely a serious flaw, because it is Frank's fear of Tony and his jealousy over Elvira that drives him to order a hit on Montana. But Tony survives and gets even in one of the more effective scenes in the movie. From that point on, although little seems to be stopping him, nothing goes quite right for Tony again. Excess clouds his thinking at almost every turn and leads to his eventual downfall. For example, his relationship with Elvira starts to deteriorate soon after they are married. She is always stoned, can't give him any children, and apparently is disinterested in sex. Seeming both drunk and sloppy with dope, he insults her publicly and she stalks out of the fancy restaurant and his life. The incident is followed by one of the film's better moments, Tony's "I'm a bad man" soliloquy in front of all "the rich mummies" who were attempting to enjoy their meal.
Alejandro Sosa, effectively played by Paul Shenar, is (along with Frank Lopez and Manny) one of the films most engaging characters. The Bolivian cocaine manufacturer and drug lord is rich, urbane, and sophisticated, yet there is something truly menacing and sinister about him. Like Montana, he kills first and asks questions later, demonstrating his ruthless streak by almost casually ordering the execution of Tony's associate and Frank's lieutenant, Omar Suarez (well played by F. Murray Abraham) when they meet at his Bolivian hacienda to discuss a major cocaine deal. Shenar died only six years after this film was released, which was too bad because obviously he was a gifted actor. When he tells Montana, "Don't you ever f*** me, Tony," you know he means it, despite the peculiar way of expressing himself. Steven Bauer, by the way, was in real life an authentic Cuban émigré and, as Manny, has one of the best roles in the movie. He is (almost) always there to back up Tony and keep him on an even keel, which is a major task if ever there was one because Tony is definitely crazy, and the more cocaine he snorts, the crazier he gets. Ironically, it is nice guy Manny's second major lapse which leads to the entire Montana organization's downfall. However, only after Tony dramatically demonstrates that there is a moral line he won't cross, though driven to a breakdown by bad breaks and cocaine abuse, does he do what cannot be forgiven and his fate is truly sealed.
On the down side of this cinematic effort, several of Montana's associates don't seem nearly sinister or tough enough to be part of a gang of ruthless killers and drug smugglers. In fact, once the inevitable war breaks out between Montana and Sosa (as predicted by Frank Lopez), Sosa's army of thugs infiltrates and overwhelms Montana's compound, eliminating the weak and disorganized resistance as if they were dealing with a bunch of schoolgirls. It comes off as thoroughly unbelievable where it ought to be one of the most carefully crafted scenes in the film since it precedes the climax -- Tony's fiery end. In conclusion, this film has one abiding message -- cocaine is bad and it will destroy you. We already knew that going in. Like I said, it's an entertaining movie with some good performances and a few great scenes, but it is not a great movie to rank among the best.