Review of Dog Day Afternoon (1975) by Chinmai R — 03 Jan 2013

I have to agree with Dave Kehr of the Chicago reader when he says that this film is very exciting and interesting at first, but descends into tedium and boredom. I was able to sit through the first hour all excited, because it was exciting and well directed, but when I hoped for a plot twist or something (anything!) exciting to happen to make it interesting, it just did not deliver.

So much so that I just skipped through the last half an hour of the movie to catch the most interesting parts- of which there weren't any. I laud the film for being so realistic I could believe it was happening before my eyes, but it did not have anything to offer after the first hour-fifteen.

In hindsight, even those 75-odd minuted did not have all that much going on, but they were still well done; they needed to be substantiated by a more eventful second act. Unfortunately, the camera panning the hot inside of the bank with barely any interesting dialogue, if any, going on in the meantime just got boring after the umpteenth time.

Pacino acts absolutely phenomenally, but the script just doesn't do justice the talent the other actors undoubtedly had. I came in to this film with high expectations, and was let down. I think it is overrated, and that we give it too much credit to say things like "it is a political film.

" With that, I would say 3 stars is appropriate.