Wyoming

Rating: 8/10 (10 June 2004)

Yet another film that displays Al Pacino's superb acting skills, Dog Day Afternoon does not disappoint. A true story in which two friends, Sonny (Pacino) and Sal (John Cazale), have decided their luck has ran out and that the only way to solve that is by robbing a bank. I found the reasoning behind the robbery to be quite sincere although very unorthodox from what we're used to. What should have been a simple snatch and grab job turns into a media frenzied nightmare for the duo, mostly because of their naivety, lack of judgment, and a tad bit too much compassion.
Dog Day Afternoon is a different bank heist movie in that for one, it's a true story, and two, the robbers involved aren't all that up to the task for their seemingly lack of planning and conviction to do what needs to be done in order to achieve success, which treats us to scenes that aren't typical in other films with the same premise. Filled with humorous moments and glimpses of their ineptitude, DDA keeps us guessing as to what will happen next. John Cazale as Sal is particularly intriguing as the quiet killer and is more enjoyable here than in The Godfather films and The Deer Hunter, mainly due to the difference in his characters. And as mentioned earlier, Pacino is Pacino...no need to really elaborate there. Chris Sarandon as Leon is also worth mentioning.
The beginning of the film is particularly interesting as we see the mistakes the robbers begin to make early on, which preludes to the media and law enforcement frenzy that ensues. It continues in this fashion until about 3/4 of the way through where it slows down a bit and could have used a little more editing. The ending is slightly anti-climatic but this is due in part to it's basis on a true story. It could have been slightly better, but overall a great film. Although typically inconsistent, I feel Lumet did a great job.
I just wish Chris Saradon as Leon would have said, "Jesuth Christht." That would have killed me.