One of the Best Movies Ever Made

Rating: 10/10 (26 June 2012)

In 1972, two men decided to rob a small Chase bank in Brooklyn, New York. The robbery should've lasted ten minutes, but due to poor planning and a couple simple mistakes, the robbery quickly escalated into a hostage negociation that involved the NYPD and FBI. The media quickly picked up the story, and within an hour of the report going out, dozens and dozens of New Yorkers and news vans flooded the area to catch a glimpse at the unfolding crime scene. After 14 hours, the standoff ended, resulting in one fatality and a crazy story that would eventually become one of the 1970s best movies.
Al Pacino is Sonny, a young Vietnam veteran who is attempting to rob a bank to pay for his gay lover's sex-change operation. His partner, Sal, and him really don't have much of a plan, and when it all goes wrong, they demand the FBI send a limo and an airplane to get them out of the country. Sonny is not a bad person, per se - he's emotionally unstable and has had an extremely difficult time re-entering civilian life after fighting in the war. Sal is a bit more disengaged altogether, and has no real backstory other than that he has had several run-ins with the law before.
The surprising part of this movie is that the audience comes to sympathize (in a strange way) with the robbers as well as the hostages. In real life, the tellers and bank manager reported to news outlets that they actually enjoyed their time with the robbers, saying they were very funny and surprisingly good conversationalists. This comes through in the movie, especially at the end when a teller, being let go as part of an agreement between Sonny and the FBI, gives Sal a cross and tells him not to worry - even if it is his first time on a plane, it'll be all right. "I'll pray for you," she says, almost sad to be leaving him behind.
The performances are all top-notch. From the rowdy mob in the street to Sonny's gay lover, Leon; from the goofy teller who seems to be enjoying the hostage situation to Pacino and Cazale themselves, everyone does a terrific job of keeping the audience engaged and entertained. With the exception of a song played during the opening sequence, there is no soundtrack, which is shockingly effective and adds to the vivid realism of the movie.
If you've never seen this movie, please watch it. It wastes no time, pulls no punches, and has a great ending. I don't care if other viewers hated this or didn't connect with the characters... they're sociopaths. Watch this movie with an open mind and just take from it what you will. You won't be disappointed.