Scarface

Rating: 7/10 (7 August 2007)

This is called a cult movie by cinegoers.
The story is about an immigrant Tony Montana (Al Pacino) from Cuba who has come to live the American dream. He is a hard core criminal and starts by being in detention, where he plots a murder. Next, he moves in the Florida where he starts working as a dish washer on a road side joint. The attraction of money and power drives him into taking chance with one drug deal that goes miserably wrong where his friend is killed, and he in turn kills other gang members. With his daring, he starts climbing the ladder of drug dealers, and reaches the pinnacle of power and wealth and gets more and crazier (due to drug addiction). Finally he is shot by his own beloved sister before being brutally killed by invading gang in his own palatial home.
The movie wholly belongs to Al Pacino, who breathes terrific life and energy to such a difficult and negative role. This is one the best anti-hero film I have watched coming out from Hollywood. The story very much resembles like a 1980s B-grade Hindi movie.
I hear that this person was real and the story is inspired from real life incidents. But without Al Pacino this movie would had been totally rubbish. It is Al Pacino's antic and historics, weirdness and style, confidence and arrogance that floats this movie through out.
The character though real is so unbelievable, but being a larger than life portrayal of an anti-hero needs such exaggeration.
The film sets are gaudy and over the top. The characters are one-sided and sketchy. There is too much of violence. There are a few good musical scores that give good 80s flavor.
I can imagine how this movie would have been a craze when first released. It still engages  but the time context is different now.
The only problem with such movies  I think  is that it promotes unrestrictive violence and mayhem. It gives a message  being bad is good! Nothing wrong with that if common people on the street understand the difference between reel and real life and not try to imitate crime  especially in the volatile world of today where getting and using weapons is child's play! Even though this is Cuban crime / mafia movie it requires an Italian Director Brian De Palma to direct this movie.
(Stars 7 out of 10)