Review of Dog Day Afternoon (1975) by Danny R — 28 Sep 2012
The quintessential only-in-New York film which is masterfully directed by the late great Sidney Lumet. It is an outrageous and sensational sort of a film that you just can't take your eyes off of, a gripping and sometimes grotesque true story about a Brooklyn bank robbery that occurred on August 22, 1972 in the early morning heat of a scorching New York midsummer day, when gunmen posing as customers enter a local bank, the simple robbery should have taken ten minutes, ten hours later they were still inside, it mushroomed into a citywide incident and media circus with a neighborhood cheering section that almost turns into a riot.
Al Pacino is magnificent in the difficult role of Sonny, the desperate leader of the gunmen who is robbing the bank in order to pay for his gay lover's sex change operation, Pacino's amazing Oscar nominated virtuoso performance is a spellbinding demonstration of his range, subtlety and depth as a actor, he peels back the layers of Sonny's personality and makes us feel and see the desperation that has driven Sonny to risk everything in one grab for the money he thinks will straighten out his absurdly complicated and sadly unfulfilled life.
The late great character actor John Cazale is equally memorable as Sal, Sonny's slow-witted partner in crime, he delivers a totally brilliant low-key, understated performance, Chris Sarandon is marvelous in a unforgettable Oscar nominated performance as Sonny's pathetic male 'wife' Leon and Charles Durning is superb in an impressive performance as Detective Sergeant Moretti, the harassed police officer in charge who is trying prevent disaster.
Frank Pierson won a Oscar for his complex and outstanding original screenplay which is full of sizzling dialogue, exquisite cinematography by Victor J. Kemper, with extraordinary editing by Dede Allen.
This American classic deservingly earned six Academy Awards nominations including Best Picture, Director: Sidney Lumet, Best Actor: Al Pacino, Best Supporting Actor: Chris Sarandon, Best Film Editing: Dede Allen, Best Original Screenplay: Frank Pierson.
A truly memorable motion picture. Highly Recommended.
This review of Dog Day Afternoon (1975) was written by Danny R on 28 Sep 2012.
Dog Day Afternoon has generally received very positive reviews.
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