Incredibly engrossing movie

Rating: 9/10 (15 March 2015)

I remember the first time I saw this movie. I had watched a couple of Al pacino's 70s classics and I expected more of the same when I started seeing this. That is where I was wrong. I didn't get the quiet subtlety of the New Hollywood style. I even expected something similar to the Godfather. Instead I get an over the top style which I never expected. I get so many clichéd elements which I had seen in prior gangster films.
But it works. I started enjoying the movie on my second viewing where I had different expectations. I just went with the ride and enjoyed the dialogue. The dialogue is the strongest part of the movie for me. There are too many quotes here which are so brilliant! There are so many clever insults and Tony's replies are so perfect. It is the dialogue and Al Pacino's performance that maybe elevates the movie from being just another 80s movie to a classic. People have complained about the accent. Frankly I don't know if Cubans talk with that accent or whatever but I enjoyed it. Do Cubans speak English with each other? Apparently not, but would people watch it if Al Pacino spoke those brilliant lines in Spanish? I am not so sure. His performance carries the movie and it goes from one great scene to the next.
Robert Loggia also turns in an underrated performance as Frank Lopez. Steven Bauer is hilarious in many scenes as well as Manolo. The great thing about all these characters is that they really seem like South and Central Americans. They seem to have put so much effort into their roles.
Another surprising thing for me was the length. It is an incredibly long movie and somehow it never feels that way. There is just too much happening in the movie and there are quite a few memorable scenes even when the action dies down in the second half. The ending action sequences are actually pretty impressive. Admittedly the last shot is not very believable. But till then, the action scenes are not over the top and are believable. I liked the slowdown in the second half and the focus on Tony's disillusionment. Sure that's a cliché that is seen in pretty much any gangster movie. But the clever lines and the hilarious exchanges (especially the one where Elvira is concerned about the F word!) were interesting to watch. I liked the shift of the arrogant Tony who wanted the world to somebody who becomes quickly disillusioned with the excitement, the money and the women. I also liked the realistic nature of the characters themselves. The situations may not be exactly realistic but the characters feel real, like they are from the streets. The relationship between Tony, Manolo and his sister was also another nice touch. Visually also it is a beautiful movie with the 80s fashions and the places.
If you take the movie seriously, I think you would be disappointed. Instead it is best to go with the ride, enjoy the excesses and the hilarious lines. And one of the best performances of Al Pacino.
9/10