"All I got in this world is my balls and my word."

Rating: 9/10 (17 June 2005)

Gangster fan or not, I think there's a little something for every red-blooded American in this flick, Scarface. Trying to think of just one word to describe Scarface is nearly impossible to manage. Controversial, incredible, violent, vulgar, upsetting... all too often does all of this contribute to a classic gangster movie. But Scarface pushes the envelope and brings a whole new meaning to it all.
Every scene in this film is drenched in style - - whether it's blood-stained Little Havana t-shirt's worn by leading man "Tony Montoya" (played by Al Pacino), the Miami, Florida backdrop, or the seedy attitude of the characters in general. The acting in Scarface couldn't have been more perfectly casted, either. The legendary Al Pacino leads the gang, and he certainly leaves his mark. While the Cuban accent needs a bit more work, just about everything Pacino brought to the table was spectacular. He's one of the key reasons why people still know the name of Tony Montoya. Any other actor casted for the role would have likely been forgotten sooner or later... but not Pacino's Montoya. Steven Bauer acts as Pacino's right-hand man and best friend in Scarface, as "Manolo". The chemistry between these two is excellent. Bauer was practically a nobody before he came along in Scarface, which is somewhat surprising considering he comes off looking like top-notch talent with this role. Michelle Pfeiffer plays the role of Montoya's wife, and while not as easy on the eyes as in future flicks, Pfeiffer puts on a pretty good performance. Much like Bauer, she was also an upcoming actor before landing in Scarface. Little did anyone know that in ten short years she would be one of the premiere female actresses in America.
Scarface's story is anything but brilliant, but it's definitely not two-dimensional. It's actually quite simple. In the early 80's, Cuban leader Fidel Castro made many Cubans leave their homeland for America. Out of the 125,000 that he sent, approximately 25,000 of them had some kind of criminal record. Among the 25,000 was Tony Montoya. Along with his friend Camolo, Montoya makes a few big hits and gets involved with some major Miami crime lords. In doing this, he goes from being broke to being a very wealthy, successful hit-man. So in short, it's your typical from rags to riches story.
Even 25 years after it's unveiling, Scarface still manages to stand the test of time. I just recently watched it over, and I must say that the stuff I found to be daring and controversial years ago still remain daring and controversial today. The acting is superb and well-casted, the action and violence keep the movie going, and everything in between just adds up even further. In the end, Scarface is possibly the greatest gangster film of all time. No exaggeration required. This is a must-see for fans of The Godfather, Casino, Public Enemy, Little Caesar, or the 1932 Scarface!