10 Ridiculous Performances That Actually Improved Movies

3. Al Pacino - Scarface

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVQ8byG2mY8 Al Pacino has had a bizarre career trajectory; he began by starring in mostly naturalistic, grounded drama, such as The Panic in Needle Park, The Godfather and Dog Day Afternoon, but that all changed when he met Brian De Palma, and made the masterfully bombastic gangster flick Scarface. Pacino's turn as Cuban immigrant Tony Montana stands as one of the classically over-the-top performances of American cinema, with an absurdly off-kilter accent, and as the net begins to close in - and Montana hoofs more coke - it culminates in the iconic, "Say hello to my little friend!" scene, in which Montana literally goes out all guns blazing. Pacino does intensity like just about nobody else; it's astounding he hasn't blown a gasket by now, what with his fiery performances in this and the likes of Glengarry Glen Ross ("You stupid f*****g c**t!"), Heat ("Cause she got a...GREAT ASS!") and The Devil's Advocate, which have nevertheless cemented him as one of the great over-actors, despite his genuine plaudits as a great performer. Besides, Scarface is a pretty superficial story, but De Palma's dynamic direction and Pacino's performance elevate it considerably.