Film Review: DOG DAY AFTERNOON (1975)

Director: Sidney Lumet
Writers: P.F. Kluge (article), Thomas Moore (article), Frank Pierson (screenplay), Leslie Waller (book - uncredited)
Running time: 120 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 15

Genre: Crime/Drama
USA Release date: 21^st September 1975

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 16^th December 2012.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

I knew (before watching) that this film had had its fair share of critical acclaim and I was keen to give it a look. There’s something in the title that conjures a picture in my mind of a violent bank siege; boy was I in for a surprise! It is most definitely not what I was expecting… so slow I had to keep checking my pulse to see if I was still alive! Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for a slow paced taught drama, but this one didn’t really work for me. I’ll tell you why after this very brief summary.

When Sonny (Al Pacino) and Sal (John Cazale) rob a bank in Brooklyn on August 22^nd 1972 they get more than they bargained for. Based on a true story, the events of the day slowly unfold. The men take too long getting out and find themselves trapped in the bank with several hostages. The manager, Mulvaney (Sully Boyar) is very cooperative, as is the chief teller, Sylvia (Penelope Allen); even so, the police are soon in touch in the guise of Moretti (Charles Durning). What follows is the usual thing; promises made in return for a hostage or two. Before they know it there are large crowds outside and the whole thing has become a media circus with Sonny even being interviewed by phone live on the air! As all this is going on we learn more about Sonny’s life and his motivations for committing this crime. As things progress the FBI takes over the negotiations in the form of Sheldon (James Broderick). He is much more with the programme and events begin to move more quickly. Is there a way out for these men though?

Quite a daring film for its day, showing events almost exclusively from the point of view of the robbers. There seems to be a little Stockholm Syndrome going on where the hostages begin to identify with their captors, but this isn’t explored too closely. All the performances are very good with Pacino doing some of his very best scenery chewing with Cazale consequently playing it down and very understated (I liked that). It didn’t work for me though because I never bought into the stories we learn about Sonny; it’s him the film concentrates on mostly. He seems quite savvy when it comes to banks and police/FBI procedures and yet still panics when the police first arrive. I never had any connection with for either of the robbers and so found it quite a bumpy road to go down. Having said that I thought it was well made but certain scenes came across like a bit of an improvised scene in an acting class. I doubt I’d watch it again, but at least it’s another I can cross off ‘The List’.

SteelMonster’s verdict: RECOMMENDED (…just)

My score: 6.1/10

IMDb Score: 8.1/10 (based on 104,663 votes at the time of going to press).
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0072890/

MetaScore: No data: (Based on 0 critic reviews provided by Metacritic.com at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 97/100 (based on 36 reviews counted at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 47/100 ‘Want to See’ (based on 84,424 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/dog_day_afternoon/

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FAVOURITE QUOTES:
WARNING: STRONG LANGUAGE
Sonny: [on a TV broadcast over the phone] I'm robbing a bank because they got money here. That's why I'm robbing it.
TV Anchorman: No, what I mean is why do you feel you have to steal for money? Couldn't you get a job?
Sonny: Uh, no. Doing what? You know if you want a job you've got to be a member of a union. See, and if you got no union card you don't get a job.
TV Anchorman: What about non-union occupations?
Sonny: What's wrong with this guy? What do you mean non-union, like what? A bank teller? You know how much a bank teller makes a week? Not much. A hundred and fifteen to start, right? Now are you going to live on that? A got a wife and a couple of kids, how am I going to live on that? What do you make a week?
TV Anchorman: Well I'm here to talk to you Sonny...
Sonny: Well I'm talking to you. We're entertainment, right? What do you got for us?
TV Anchorman: Well what do you want to get for it? Do you expect to be paid because...
Sonny: No, I don't want to be paid; I don't need to be paid. Look, I'm here with my partner and nine other people, see. And we're dying, man. You know? You're going to see our brains on the sidewalk; they're going to spill our guts out. Now are you going to show that on television? Have all your housewives look at that? Instead of As The World Turns? I mean what do you got for me? I want something for that.
TV Anchorman: Sonny, you could give up?
Sonny: Give up? Right. Have you ever been in prison?
TV Anchorman: No!
Sonny: No! Well let's talk about something you fucking know about, okay? How much do you make a week? That's what I want to hear. Are you going to talk to me about that?
TV Anchorman: [a "Please Stand By" graphic appears on the TV screen]
Sonny: Hey, what the fuck happened?
Mulvaney: I guess he didn't appreciate your use of language.
Sonny: Fuck him.

Sonny: I don't wanna talk to some flunky pig trying to calm me man.
Det. Sgt. Eugene Moretti: Now you don't have to be calling me pig for...
Sonny: [Notices other officers moving toward him] What is he doing?
Det. Sgt. Eugene Moretti: [shouts at officers] Will you get back there!
Sonny: What are you moving in there for?
Det. Sgt. Eugene Moretti: [Runs toward closing officers] Will you get the fuck back there! Get back there will you!
Sonny: [Addresses other officers moving toward him] What's he doing? Go back there man! He wants to kill me so bad he can taste it! Huh? ATTICA! ATTICA! ATTICA! ATTICA ATTICA! ATTICA! ATTICA! ATTICA! ATTICA! ATTICA!
[Yells it too cheering crowd]
Sonny: ATTICA! ATTICA! REMEMBER ATTICA?

Sonny: Kiss me.
Det. Sgt. Eugene Moretti: What?
Sonny: Kiss me. When I'm being fucked, I like to get kissed a lot.

Sheldon: You handled yourself real well, Sonny. A lot of men would've choked, and we might have had a death or a multiple death on our hands. But you handled it. I respect that. Now don't you try to take Sal. We'll handle him. Just sit tight and you won't get hurt.
[Sheldon turns to walk away]
Sonny: Wait a minute... What are you talking about?
Sheldon: You just sit quiet. We'll handle Sal.
[Sheldon leaves]
Sonny: Do you think I'd sell him out? You fuck!

LINKS:
Trailer:

Film Review: THE DEER HUNTER (1978)

Co-Writer/Director: Michael Cimino
Running time: 182 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 18

Genre: Drama/War
UK Release date: 27^th February 1979

Watched on Sky+ Saturday 18^th September 2011.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

I have tried to watch this film a few in the past, but always failed to understand it. This time I cleared FOUR HOURS, taking into account all the little things that distract the viewer at home, and this time I actually got to the end and had some kind of a grip on what it was all about. Here are a couple of sentences about the film before I give you my thoughts.

This is a film of five acts; I’ve called them Home, Hunting, Nam, Home Again and Nam Again. Others may divide it up differently, but that’s how I see it. The story revolves around three guys; Michael, Steven and Nick, from a Pennsylvania steel town who go off to the Vietnam war full of hope and bravado. It deals with what happens to them there and the effects it has on both them and their loved ones back home. I won’t go into specifics, but the effects of their experiences resonate deeply into the community they came from. I’ll leave it there or the Spoiler Police will force me to play roulette with some Vietnamese gentlemen.

First of all, great music throughout, not least the main theme performed by classical guitarist, John Williams. Also the film was beautifully shot by Director of Photography, Vilmos Zsigmond. Great performances all round, particularly from; Robert De Niro as Michael, Christopher Walken as Nick and John Savage as Steven. These three really carried off quite a performance! They were ably backed up by; John Cazale as Stan, Meryl Streep as Linda, George Dzundza as John and Chuck Aspegren as Axel.

Putting aside the great performances, the cinematography and the music for a moment, I have to take a second to comment on the length of the piece. It is far too long; the first two acts take up nearly half the running time and do nothing to further the story that couldn’t be done in thirty to forty minutes. The sequence in Vietnam could have been expanded, for instance, there is nothing that tells us just how they ended up in the situation they did (no spoilers I’m afraid). The later acts could have been dramatically shortened also. So I reckon about an hour could have been cut from this film and it would have been just as good, if not better. I am going to give it quite a decent score despite these misgivings because it is still a very powerful drama that I actually found quite compelling at times… Recommended (with reservations).

My Score: 7.5/10.

IMDb Score: 8.2/10 (based on 104,871 votes at the time of going to press).
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0077416/

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91/100 (based on 45 reviews counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/deer_hunter/

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FAVOURITE QUOTES:
Michael: What kind of beer would you like?
Linda: What? I don't know. I don't care. Any kind.
Michael: I'll get you a Rolling Rock.
Linda: Okay.
Michael: It's a good beer, it's the best around.

Army Doctor: Chevotarevich, is that a Russian name?
Nick: No, it's an American name.

Stan: How does it feel to be shot?
Michael: Don't hurt. That's what you wanna know. And how it's been, doing OK.
Stan: Yeah, same thing. Nothing's changed. I'm getting more ass than a toilet seat and Axel here; he's getting fatter than ever.

Michael: Here's to Nick.
Steven: [whispering] To Nick.
[All]: To Nick.

LINKS:
Trailer: