Dog Day Afternoon

August 22, 1972. On a hot day, at 3 in the afternoon, two men sit in a parked car: Sonny (Al Pacino) and Sal (John Cazale). They begin their planned bank robbery, something that was supposed to last less than a half an hour, and it turns into a local media circus and a spectacle after four hours. After eight, it became a nationwide phenomenon. By the end of the day, the event was all history. Based on a true story.

I honestly find little to care about concerning this one; from Sonny's whining wife, to the whole premise, and that the movie lacks significant motion. With little direction from when the two gunmen enter the bank to when it's all over, I'm completely apathetic about the characters and, worse, for the story. The camera work is too static, inciting random yawning episodes. To top it off, there's no music score to keep the slow points moving and for distraction. When I began the project, I surveyed my choices and I dreaded the day I found myself involved with the two-hours torture that is this movie. I may test out how it is selling things to Secondspin.com with this one…who knows?!

I'll say a few things "nice" about this one, to pay for the insult. Al Pacino is fairly decent, he worked enough to be believable. The antics with the crowd are funny enough. And the lady hostages are credible. But the rest, is just the rest. A bit like chicken noodle soup, Walmart brand...enough spice and substance to know it's chicken noodle soup, but not enough to hit the spot.

****

IN: Marcia Jean Kurtz

OUT: Lance Henricksen

Coming Soon: The Terminator