Pacino's best performance.

Rating: 10/10 (21 April 2009)

And that is saying a lot.
This is one of those films you find on TV and maybe decide to watch a small bit of it. Ten minutes later, your hooked and it's done before you know it. The slow build and the realistic changes in circumstances keep anyone into it.
Al gave his all here and definitely left it all on the celluloid. If not for Jack's "Coukoo"s Nest" performance that year, Al would have gotten the Oscar. He owned the film and you wanted the camera to stay with him.
Chris Sarandon, in his debut, also got (and earned) a nom. I wondered why Durning, Cazale, and the blonde bank teller (with the obvious Irish accent) didn't.
Durning's role was a bit of a stereotype, but he kept it in check. He's one of the most under-appreciated actors around. And despite filming in cold whether, you DID feel like it was oppressively hot.
The script deserved the Oscar. So did everything else.