Still the standard by which many New York movies are compared, Lumet’s terrific telling of a true-story Brooklyn bank robbery gone way out of hand is just as captivating as ever. In an Oscar nominated role, Al Pacino is winning as Sonny, the young man leading the job to fund his girlfriend’s sex-change operation (Chris Sarandon, also Oscar nominated) and becoming a media sensation in the process. With John Cazale and Charles Durning lending first-rate supporting performances. —Film Society of Lincoln Center
Sidney Lumet (born June 25, 1924) is an American film director, with over 50 films to his name, including 12 Angry Men (1957), Serpico (1973), Dog Day Afternoon (1975), Network (1976) and The Verdict (1982), all of which, except for Serpico (1973), earned him Academy Award nominations for Best Director.
According to The Encyclopedia of Hollywood, Lumet is one of the most prolific directors of the modern era making more than one movie per year on average since his directorial debut in 1957. He is especially noted for his ability to draw major actors to his projects. “Because of his visual economy, strong direction of actors, vigorous storytelling and use of the camera to accent themes,” states Turner Classic Movies. “Lumet produced a body of work that could only be defined as extraordinary.”
One of his steady themes during his career has been the “fragility of justice and the police and their corruption,” according to Thomson’s Biographical Dictionary of Film. He can deliver… read more
This is just one of those films I can watch over and over again with increasing appreciation. Only now do I fully understand how masterfully Dede Allen cut this together, not to mention this is my favorite Pacino performance. What I love most about this film is its simplicity (similarly to Lumet's directorial debut "12 Angry Men") -- nothing over the top, just beautiful acting and a human story.
Sonny: Is there any special country you wanna go to? Sal: Wyoming. Sonny: Sal, Wyoming's not a country.
"Sidney Lumet, a director who preferred the streets of New York to the back lots of Hollywood and whose stories of conscience — 12 Angry
"Dede Allen, the film editor whose seminal work on Robert Rossen's The Hustler in 1961 and especially on Arthur Penn's Bonnie and Clyde
Short version: Sydney Lumet was a fantastic director, Pacino is brilliant in this, and the story is intensely engaging in creating a suspenseful environment and excellent portrayal of this true story… read review
wow,after watching DOG DAY AFTERNOON,now i’m pretty sure that Sidney Lumet is a master of simple yet powerful storytelling.in 12 ANGRY MEN,he makes me sit tight from the beginning to end.that’s just… read review
(Originally written December 1, 2006)
Dog Day Afternoon is a film about the oppressed peoples pressured under the escalation resulting from the overreaction of authority. Sonny, played by Al… read review
