TrueJoshNight Truly Dreadful Film

SpuffyWeb Sadly Over-hyped

Ploydsge just watch it!

Hulkeasexo it is the rare 'crazy' movie that actually has something to say.

knoxsw I love this film. It was one of the first I ever saw when I really started getting into movies. It's got incredibly strong performances from the great Al Pacino and the late John Cazale (What a great catalog of films he had in his tragically short career) they're both amazingly gifted people. It's also still incredibly provocative, the idea of gay marriage is still fairly stigmatized, let alone the complex dynamics at work in Dog Day Afternoon. Perhaps what bothers me most about this film, though, is the fact that it's always bouncing in and out of the 250th spot of the top 250, it's so good! It deserves a permanent spot!

George Wright I was delighted to get Dog Day Afternoon as a Christmas gift. I still watch DVDs and thank goodness for them. Other than TCM, there is only a slim chance of viewing this movie on television. Finally getting to see the movie and its star Al Pacino was a bigger treat than I expected. Watching this robbery/hostage drama made me feel like I was right there minute by minute as the story unfolded. Sidney Lumet, a director of so many great movies set in New York, knew the territory. The movie is set in Brooklyn in 1972 and it captures the squalor and the mood of the working class neighbourhood. At the time, New York was dealing with crime, bankruptcy, racial strife and the loss of faith in government. Pacino, playing Sonny, is an unemployed Italian-American in a failing marriage. Part of the story is an alliance he builds with neighbours who cheer for him as he is surrounded by police, FBI, and media reporters. John Cazale plays the buddy Sal and Charles Durning is the seasoned police chief caught in a highly charged environment between the police and a crowd of rabble rousers cheering on the hostage takers. The full cast is great. Glad I finally saw this movie, which I can now add to the many other great movies I've seen from the 1970's. Highly recommend.

Ian (Flash Review)This film captures Pacino in his fiery youth and range as an actor. He portrays a kind-hearted bank robber needing money to give to his male partner for an operation. This film is a comedy of errors and poor decisions. Nothing goes right even though Pacino has put some planning into this. Awash in the middle of the grimy and drab 1970's styles as well as the hot day in the city, this adds to the awkwardness of the robbery plan. Pacino's acting is emotional and rich and the story unfolds with some solid surprises. A must for Pacino fans.

TonyMontana96 (Originally reviewed: 19/01/2017) Bank robbery films usually don't get a single nomination at the academy awards, so I was intrigued to why this received a best picture nomination; the answer is simple, it has a baited plot device where one of the robbers just so happens to have a boyfriend who needs a sex change. Al Pacino (Sonny) gives a brilliant performance as the brains behind the robbery, whereas John Cazale (Sal) is simply the grunt in the situation and has barely anything to say except when he's conferring with Sunny. There are a lot of unmemorable performances from the smaller character's in the picture as well (it jumps from one cop to another in charge), and of course a cringeworthily one by the tranny or whatever you want to call it. I'll even go so far to say the dialogue isn't that impressive either, I don't care how original it is, only a few jokes work and most of the dialogue is fairly forgettable.Though so far I seem negative, I actually liked Dog Day Afternoon in a sense, and think its good entertainment, even if it never becomes anything else. Sidney Lumet's direction is effective and I like how he uses tension rather than countless shootouts, I also admired some truly impressive scenes such as when Pacino yells "ATTICA" several times to get the crowd to applause. On the other hand the pace feels sluggish in the second half and the ending is far from satisfying, as it's predictable, simple and disappointing. In my opinion it's simple Oscar bait that only works as a one-time viewing, take out the Homosexuality and Sex change nonsense and all you have is two men in a bank robbery gone wrong; All in all its competently made in the entertainment aspect, but it's certainly no classic.