Great acting for a widely entertaining bank robbery

Rating: 8/10 (21 March 2008)

Dog Day Afternoon is by far the most accomplished movie about a bank robbery gone wrong. The plot is based on a true story and is pretty much filmed as if in a theater stage only comprised of a small urban New York bank and its immediate surroundings. One of the highs is found in the amazing cast that so naturally portrayed what was a set of challenging roles. Al Pacino is not only convincing, but in his lunacy and rhythm finds a way to charm us with his wit and the natural quality he manages to give his character. His male lover Leon makes another convincing short presentation that never makes us doubt about the truly dysfunctional lifestyle they have. Sonny's partner Sal played wonderfully by the late John Cazale speaks with the same frailty and emotional instability he gave his famous Godfather character. The movie does well to seem natural, far from the flamboyance that tends to haunt Hollywood when making films about cops trying to take down bad guys. The 2 hour long film also keeps you at the edge of your seat, giving you sufficient thrills along the road to keep you guessing and wishing for the best. The only criticism I have are the unnecessary shots of New York City at different moments in the movie as if watching Manhattan will helps us understand anything more about the movie and its characteristic New York characters.