Dog Day Afternoon

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)

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)

Pacino turns in a great performance in a heist movie with a banal plot. Or am I, as a viewer, supposed to be thrilled by the twist when a young man in a bathrobe appears on the scene as his wife, for whose sex change Pacino is doing all of this? His real wife and especially his mother just complete the bizarre circle of characters that make this an unintentional comedy. The depiction of Brooklyn and the situation in the US at the time is praiseworthy, but as a human drama, this classic didn't impress me. (02/14/2021)

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)

I promise will never complain about my bad luck again... Sidney Lumet made a perfect crime drama about one not exactly ordinary bank robbery, that in certain moments is more like a comedy. The role of Sonny Wortzik is one of Al Pacino’s greatest creations ever. He gives a perfect performance of an absolute wreck desperately trying to get the situation under control. John Cazale as Sal is pleasantly inconspicuous and for the whole time it’s apparent that he is consumed by fear. And it seems that the guy at the end in the minibus truly was Lance Henriksen. The screenplay is flawless and goes to show that even such a classic plot like a bank robbery can be turned into something so “different". (10/28/2006)