Carlito’s Way (1993)
Directed by Brian De Palma
If a man (with a gun) is being chased through Grand Central Station by several other men (who have guns), how long until the first man is prostrate on an escalator, shooting upwards while being borne downhill? If Sean Penn shaves a receding hairline into his glorious head of New-York-mob-lawyer hair, is his gradual moral recession also guaranteed? If a girl dares you to break down her door, does it count as affirmative consent? Master logician De Palma investigates, while Al Pacino, this time as the Puerto Rican Carlito Brigante, tries to escape his life of crime. These days, Carlito lives on in lyrics, even if it’s much easier to find an apple walnut salad than a bullet with your name on it in El Barrio. Elina Mishuris (Mar 26, 8pm at IFC Center’s “Celluloid Dreams,” followed by a Q&A with editor Bill Pankow)