Typical DePalma movie, disjointed, confusing, loud in every sense

Rating: 3/10 (30 June 2013)

I was not shocked to discover that Scarface was not a great movie, as DePalma is incapable of making one. I am surprised by its reputation and high rating after finally watching it, even accounting for the way many flash crime movies are way over rated. As with every DePalma film I've seen, you're left trying to piece together why something's just happened and make some sense of the story. Forget it, it doesn't matter who writes the screenplay, DePalma will mangle it.
All that matters in this as in all his films, is the sensationalism, visual and audible. It's always loud, garish and colourful, but I wish it meant a bit more and was easier to follow. You just get vivid, desperate to be iconic scene followed by trite small talk then next big scene, so it's bang bang, drivel, bang bang, drivel, bang bang with no meaningful narrative linking them. DePalma was an awful film maker of highly commercial sensationalist entertainment. It's not Pacino's finest three hours either as you see his character portrayal slide into wacky caricature. But, as always with this director and this lead actor, it is entertaining!