Rating of
4/4
One of the most underated movies ever.
mdtinney - wrote on 08/19/09
As much as I love discovering obscure and forgotten films, there are some more well known ones that are regarded as masterpieces for a reason. "Dog Day Afternoon" was a huge hit when released in the 70s, and won critical acclaim and was nominated for a good deal of Oscars. There's a simple reason it was held in such high regard, it really is a masterpiece. I've seen countless bank heist films in my time, and even with the more entertaining ones, there often seems to be a strong sense of deja-vu. So for an entry in the genre to impress me, it really has to do something special with the formula. "Dog Day Afternoon" follows a heist that falls to shambles from the very beginning. However, the film uses the crumbling heist and the media frenzy surrounding it to paint an absolutely compelling character study. The film holds up to repeated viewings, because certain nuances and subtitles in the performances reveal themselves. The acting across the board is first class. Al Pacino's performance once again proves why he is considered one of the best if not the best actor of all time.. As Sonny, he crafts possibly his finest role. When you look at his resume of the time, you know that's saying a lot. Sonny is a character full of contradictions - he worries about his loved ones, yet is an egomaniac when it comes to the media. He's painted as a neurotic individual who doesn't seem to know what he's getting himself into, despite his ability to manipulate people. Equally fine are John Cazale, Charles Durning, and Chris Sarandon. Cazale has a character with very little dialog, but he manages to make him speak volumes. Sarandon offers an absolutely memorable performance with a character who could have ended up a stereotype. The fact that he (along with Brad Douriff in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest") lost the best supporting Oscar to the mediocre George Burns in "The Sunshine Boys" is one of the biggest missteps the Academy ever made. "Dog Day Afternoon" is one of the greatest American films of the 70s. If you haven't seen it yet, well, what are you waiting for?
