Oldie Movie Review - Dog Day Afternoon

Director: Sidney Lumet
Genre: Crime/ Drama
Runtime: 125 minutes
Year: 1975
Starring: Al Pacino, John Cazale, Penelope Allen, Sully Boyar, Carol Kane, Gary Springer, James Broderick, Chris Sarandon, Charles Durning

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2022 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 39: A MOVIE THAT TAKES PLACE IN ONE DAY
 
Description: Three amateur bank robbers plan to hold up a bank. A nice simple robber: walk in, take the money and run. Unfortunately, the supposedly uncomplicated heist suddenly becomes a bizarre nightmare as everything that could go wrong does.

Review: In “Dog Day Afternoon”, Sonny Wortzik and Sal, along with a third accomplice, enter a Brooklyn bank. On this sweltering, late-summer day, the three men try to steal money from the vault just before closing time. However, the accomplice soon gives up and Sonny and Sal are left alone. The robbery goes horribly wrong and in now time the two men and nine hostages are trapped in the bank building, surrounded by policemen, journalists and civilians outside. Sonny and Sal face all sorts of human problems during their actions.

“Dog Day Afternoon” was nominated for six Academy Awards in 1976, including those for Best Picture and Best Script. The last category was a win.

The duo of Al Pacino and John Cazale is masterful in “Dog Day Afternoon”. From moment one, the unusual combination makes you sympathize with the characters Sonny and Sal. The way Pacino portrays Sonny is outstanding.

By today’s standards, “Dog Day Afternoon” might be a bit slow and people would say action is lacking. But that is exactly why this film is so good. The whole thing is so convincing. The mostly usual clichés in heist movies, are carefully avoided. The credible acting of the cast, the oppressive atmosphere, it all adds to the tension of the film. Director Sidney Lumet managed to get fine performances from his cast and made “Dog Day Afternoon” worth watching.

Rating: 4/ 5

What's in a Movie Year - 1975

Taking a look at the year 1975, picking my 10 favorite movies from that year in random order.
 

Jaws
A seaside resort is terrorized by a great white shark, which has already caused several victims. The mayor refuses to close the beach. Sheriff Brody then fights the shark himself. For almost an hour we don’t get to see the shark, which is the strength of the movie. Because what horror movies taught us over the years is that it’s what you don’t see that scares us the most. “Jaws” is a brilliantly filmed and powerfully acted horror film, with an excellent score by John Williams.
 

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
Randle is transferred from a work prison to a psychiatric facility for evaluation. Randle sees the fun in it. His ward is full of eccentrics and the rebellious Randle gets the best out of them. Cold-hearted nurse Ratched is less fortunate with all the commotion and goes against Randle, to the bitter end. It’s a strong film, based on the book of the same name by Ken Kesey.
 

Dog Day Afternoon
A year before “Network”, director Sidney Lumet came up with a like-minded film in which thirty-something Al Pacino plays Sonny, a fantastic bank robber in the midst of an infernal media circus. It is a true story that beings on a hot summer day in 1972 New York. Sonny Wortzik robs a local bank in Brookyn together with the not too bright Sal. It culminates in a hostage-taking with the arrival of the police and the case gets national attention when it turns out that the loot was intended for the sex operation of Sonny’s lover Leon. It’s a genius film, with great dialogue and a memorable performance by Al Pacino.
 

The Stepford Wives
Joanna Eberhart has come to the quaint little town of Stepford, Connecticut with her family. She soon discovers there lies a sinister truth in the all too perfect behavior od the female residents. It’s an effective film, which makes you blood curdle. Based on the best-selling novel by author Ira Levin.
 

Monty Python and the Holy Grail
In their first feature film, the Monty Python gang adapted the Arthur legend with very little respect to the source material. It has a sequence of legendary scenes, dialogues and characters. One of the funniest movies ever made.
 

Three Days of the Condor
CIA employee Joseph Turner stumbles upon a conspiracy within the CIA. He forces photographer Kathy Hale to hide him in her house. It’s a great action film by Sydney Pollack.
 

The Return of the Pink Panther
The man with the ‘rare gift of knowing everything without having to think’. This is how clumsy Inspector Clouseau describes himself, unaware of any evil or failure. Actor Peter Sellers himself chose Clouseau’s controlled slant. In this fourth film, the Pink Panther diamond is stolen again, with Clouseau as the detective. Christopher Plummer and Catherine Schell play the suspicious couple. With great locations in Nice and Morocco. It’s a great film, with masterful opening animation, music and direction. Not my favorite in the series, but definitely one you have to see.
 

The Rocky Horror Picture Show
When this cult classic is shown in the cinema, fans sing all the songs. It’s a silly musical parody on the horror genre, in which the most idiotic characters are staged. It tells the story of a young couple who end up in a haunted house, inhabited by transvestites. Tim Curry plays a provocative role and Susan Sarandon is memorable as shaky Janet, who turns out to be a self-assured vamp.
 

The Man Who Would Be King
A splendid adventuristic drama, based on a story by Rudyard Kipling. British officers Daniel Dravot and Peachy Carnehan in colonial India travel to Afghanistan to gather wealth. Dravot pretends to be the reincarnation of Alexander the Great, making it easier for him to rob treasures. However, pride comes before the fall, also in Afghanistan. It’s a classic, that many people might not have seen yet. Worth a watch.
 

Barry Lyndon
I’ve only recently seen this movie for the first time. It’s a costume drama by Stanley Kubrick, which is over 3 hours long. Set in Eighteenth century Ireland, Irish adventurer and fortune hunter Redmond Barry pretends to be a nobleman. After a conflict with the family, stubborn Barry has little choice but to take off. The war awaits. A movie that I wouldn’t rewatch, but I can definitely appreciate due to how the film was made.