On S List of Movie Reviews

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Scarface (1983)

Rate: 5
Viewed: 3/05, 3/06, 9/11

3/06: Scarface is sometimes awesome, mediocre, derivative, annoying, and pointless but is mostly stupid.

There's no doubt that it's Al Pacino's movie. This is him at his craziest which marks the point that he never went back to his usual self. There are some great performances from others such as Robert Loggia, Steven Bauer, F. Murray Abraham, and Paul Shenar. But why couldn't Michelle Pfeiffer take some acting lessons? She flat-out sucks.

Because it lacks depth, I wish the story is better constructed given it's Oliver Stone who wrote the screenplay and could've used some help from Francis Ford Coppola, Mario Puzio, and/or Martin Scorsese. At one point, Tony Montana was about to face his eventual death, but what do I care? That's the problem.

All in all, Scarface is more of a silly than a serious gangster picture.

9/11: Scarface was thought overtly ridiculous when it first premiered in 1983, but since then, it has gained too much attention to the point of being overrated that sometimes borders on obsession for some fans.

Al Pacino makes a remarkable transformation as he goes from Frank Serpico, Don Corleone, and Sonny Wortzik to Tony Montana. It's a fine performance despite the spectacle mess. There's no question the cinematography is excellent, making the picture pretty in a Miami way. The style is rough and gritty for good measure. Unfortunately, Michelle Pfeiffer has to stink up every scene she appears in. That's why she's a model, not an actress.

All in all, Scarface is okay in spite of some good movie moments.

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