Dog Day Afternoon

One Wednesday morning, Al Pacino woke up as a bank clerk whose world had crumbled apart. He said to himself “screw it” and he decided to rob his place of work and to exchange the money for cigars, rum and a hut made of straw to sleep in in Cuba. He got himself two accomplices: one flees before the action starts and you feel sad about the other one – even more than you feel sad about the movie. After a botched robbery, the two criminals remain closed in the bank along with several employees, the bank is surrounded by about five dozen cops and the social survey of year 1975 starts. And since the movie stars Al Pacino in the leading role, you can bet that you won’t be bored. (10/17/2016)

An instruction video about how never under any circumstances to proceed during a bank robbery. Al Pacino excels in the main role, demonstrating all typical beginner’s mistakes. Mainly by completely outshining all the others with his performance. Which, in view of how interesting most characters are, is rather a shame; twice as much with respect to Cazale’s role. (06/07/2009)

Dog Day Afternoon is deceptive. The beginning feels like a genuine crime comedy when a trio of raw amateurs armed only with determination and confidence decide to rob a bank on a busy street. However, they do not take into account the many larger and smaller obstacles that complicate their situation. Despite many tragicomic situations, the viewer soon senses that the story is heading elsewhere, into a more intense and above all more tragic position. Sidney Lumet directed his film based on a true event, and despite all the absurdity of what is seen, it is all extremely chillingly realistic. He managed to work brilliantly with his actors and extracted maximum emotions from the depicted events, including a considerable dose of social criticism not sparing police or journalistic practices. In a certain position, it is reminiscent of the famous music video by the band Rammstein "Ich will." For me, it is one of the timeless films of its genre, where the viewer will not find a trace of the usual contrivance of similar films. Overall impression: 95%. (03/05/2010)

You’ve just taken the money and suddenly a hundred police officers show up, it's hard to imagine a bigger setback when robbing a bank. Sidney Lumet uses this intriguing idea in the best possible way, collaborating with a stellar Al Pacino to create a thrilling and compelling story whose only drawback was that it was made in the same year as Forman's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Otherwise, in addition to the Oscar for the screenplay, there would surely be an award for the director and also for Pacino, who gives a performance of a lifetime that makes you believe in him. Although it explores a theme used mostly in action films, there are only three shots in the entire film. That, however, doesn't detract from its quality or pace; on the contrary, it leaves even more space for the psychologically demanding situation in which everyone involved – hostages, perpetrators or police officers – find themselves. The whole thing is excellently shot, the atmosphere of the 70s is very much felt, full of discrimination and political affairs, and the viewer is tense until the end – will the robbers be caught or will they be killed? (02/27/2012)

Al Pacino delivers another one of his incredible performances, directed by Sidney Lumet, who has created a film that can initially be seen as a comedy, but gradually develops into a story that you know cannot end well, even though you find yourself rooting for the anti-hero. Just like everyone else. (10/09/2015)