This is based on the true story of a bank robbery that went awry. It gets off to an intriguing start, jumping right into the robbery with great intensity and moments of humor, but it soon loses the momentum. It seems the filmmakers had a beginning and an end in mind, but didn't know how to fill the middle. The middle, featuring interactions with the robber's family and gay lover, is just soap opera, causing the film to drag. The film opens with about five minutes of random shots of NYC, serving no purpose other than to pad the running time when it's already overlong. Although Lumet tends to encourage overacting, Pacino is very good and the supporting cast is solid.
Review of Dog Day Afternoon
