Great Film........

Rating: 7/10 (16 May 2007)

It took me three sittings to watch this film, I don't personally like it. But don't let that deter you. It is one of the best films I have seen.
It couldn't have gone wrong, really, when you have the mix of Brian de Palma directing, Oliver Stone writing, and of course Al Pacino acting (and throw in there Michelle Pfeiffer to sell it further). It delivers on direction, with that unmistakable retro look, and cinematography was great at times. The acting was great from start to finish, Al Pacino sells his Cuban character really well (that's an understatement) and supporting actors do a fantastic job, too. The set designs and the locations, as well as the music, really do a great job in bringing the story to reality. It is amazing how the film, with all these sets and all the big names, was made for only $25 mil. I like to think, for that reason, that it is slightly art-house (you can argue with me there) in that its concept and quality really strays from the typical Hollywood film we know today (if you compare the calibre of films Hollywood made in the 70s and 80s, and the different types of film we see in today's Hollywood you'll notice the artistic difference (again; you can argue that)). Its box office receipts do reflect this, and so the budget was perfectly set to set the film up to make a profit.
The script is where I start to be divided. On one hand it is fantastic; elements of the American Dream are strong, and the character development of all the key characters is brilliant! The realism in each characters lines is priceless. The only quibble I have with the script is that I found it to be quite formulaic. I thought for the caliber of film it is the script could have taken a chance and branched out from the typical plot structure and realised a greater artistic appeal (with albeit a lesser commercial appeal). When you compare it to the Godfather I & II for example, the difference and quality of plot structure is quite evident. (Granted, the Godfather films were based on books, and these films' particular religious adherence to the books makes its plot structure more appealing, and is one of its greatest selling points.)
For me, the formulaic script was an annoyance which slightly flawed the whole film. However, I am definitely the minority on this point, and I stress that with every other facet of Scarface, it is a high quality and entertaining film.