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| John Cazale and Al Pacino realizing they are in way over their heads. |
An oldie for sure, but one worth seeing again -- or for the first time if you never have -- Dog Day Afternoon offers indisputable evidence that Al Pacino is one of the greatest actors of all time. Directed by Sidney Lumet (Serpico, The Pawnbroker, 12 Angry Men, Network, The Verdict and many more), this 1975 fictionalized account of a true crime grabs you even before the opening credits roll and never lets go. It's suspenseful all the way through and never gives a hint as to how things will turn out. Amazingly much of it is still laugh-out-loud funny, despite the dire plot.
Pacino plays Sonny, a desperate and broken young man in need of cash. His plan to rob a bank in Brooklyn, New York on a blisteringly hot August day goes horribly awry. Setting out with his partner, a grim-faced, gun-toting John Cazale -- you know him as Fredo in The Godfather -- Sonny promises his wary group of hostages that if everyone cooperates, "we'll all be outta here in half an hour!" But as the afternoon drags into evening, things go from bad to really bad.
Charles Durning as the Chief of Police and Chris Sarandon as Sonny's love interest -- a before-her-time "woman trapped inside a man's body" -- give memorable performances in a couple of scenes you'll want to see twice. But it's Pacino's movie and his acting chops are front and center, his sad brown eyes expressing his inner turmoil more than words ever could.
A box-office hit, the film was nominated for six Academy Awards and seven Golden Globes, winning an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. One interesting thing to note is that there is absolutely no music after the opening credits, adding to the sense that you're watching something that's really happening.
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