Al Pacino's solid performance and Frank Pierson's superb screenplay are what really makes this film work so well

Rating: 9/10 (9 September 2015)

Dog Day Afternoon is a true story about two men who rob a bank in Brooklyn in 1972.
Most of the heist films that I've seen are slick and well-orchestrated (think Oceans 11 or The Bank Job). However, with Dog Day Afternoon the opposite is true when we witness Sonny (Al Pacino) and Sal (John Cazale) making mistakes and being careless - such as not timing the robbery before a large sum of money has already been collected OR drawing unnecessary attention to themselves by lighting a small fire within the bank. It's evident from the start that Sonny and Sal had not really thought things through and this is what gives this film its human element.
I personally think that to categorise this film as a heist film is incorrect as it probably acts more as a character study on the human mind. To me, Sonny was more misguided than bad and this becomes more evident when you look at his motivations - his reasons for robbing the bank are to help someone he loves make a life-altering decision in order to make them happy. Whilst, there's no condoning his actions I think it's easier to feel for him as a person when you learn his reasoning behind the heist.
Frank Pierson's screenplay is excellent here and I think what makes this work so well is that he offers us so much insight into Sonny as a person. A good character study can only really work if you afford your character some depth - I also think it helps if both good and bad aspects of the character are represented. Here Pierson initially presents Sonny as a hard-edged character, but gradually as the film progresses we start to feel for Sonny and start to understand some of the problems that he's faced in life (the conversations that he has with his two lovers help to highlight this point). Also, despite its running time of 120 minutes, Pierson keeps things moving quickly right from the initial heist, to the negotiation with the cops, to its resolution there is not a minute wasted. It's also a relatively suspenseful and intense film that rarely loses any momentum.
Pierson's screenplay is strong enough on its own, but what really brings this picture to life is Al Pacino. His performance here was terrific and although there are a couple of occasions when he perhaps goes a little overboard I think this is one of his best performances.
As a side note, there was one point in the film where Sal (John Cazale) is discussing smoking with one of the hostages and he mentions that he doesn't smoke because he doesn't want to end up with cancer. In a sad twist of irony, Cazale succumbed to cancer and died 3 years after this film was made. I think this is a good point in the review to also acknowledge Cazale's performance and whilst he wasn't given as much to do as Pacino, he was still very good here in a more low-key way and Pierson also manages to handle his character with sensitivity as well.
Dog Day Afternoon is a superb film that is well worth watching. Despite the fact that the story is about a bank heist, it's much deeper than that and is a film that focuses more on Sonny's reasoning behind the crime he's committed and his emotional and psychological mind-set. It's a very involving and compelling story that was excellent from start to finish.