Dog Day Afternoon (1975, R)

This film, based on a true story, is about a bank robbery gone FUBAR that turned into a hostage situation.  The whole film is from the point of view of the main robber, Sonny Wortzik, played by Al Pacino (The Devil's Advocate, Scent Of A Woman, Scarface).  The movie is not a comedy, but I definitely chuckled a few times early in the film as various things go wrong and various characters prove that they don't know what they're doing (Ocean's 11, they are not!).  Sonny is clearly a first-time bank robber, and when they arrive I wonder if the police on the scene are first-time cops.  The detective in charge is played by Charles Durning (Tootsie, The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas).


The film covered what it was like inside the bank and had a few interesting brief interactions between Sonny, his partner, and the bank staff.  Sonny was a pretty affable character, so it's not hard to identify with him (other than the fact that he has innocent people at gunpoint), and as the movie plays out we get some insight into his reasons for what he does.  The robbery was meant to be a quick in-and-out, but the police show up before the robbers get outside, and so it turns into the hostage situation when they (the robbers) use the only leverage they have: the bank staff.  The most notable part of the situation is the media circus it became... this film could be considered a social commentary on media and group mentality.  One of the bank staff was played by Carol Kane (Transylvania 6-5000, My Girlfriend's Boyfriend, The Princess Bride, The Adams Family, Scrooged), and I smiled when I saw her.  Her film roles tend to be side characters, and she's a little spooky looking, but almost always a sweetheart.

The opening credits roll with a montage of scenes around New York City, much like Midnight In Paris did for Paris.  I don't know that you would miss out on a lot for not knowing that this is NYC, but they want you to get the feel for the city.    If you're a New Yorker, especially a native of Brooklyn, then you might pick up on some nuances that I missed.   If you are, please comment and let me know your thoughts. I imagine this film has a lot of love for the city and people that outsiders like myself just won't appreciate as much.

As a historical sidebar, at one point in the film the crowd follows Sonny's chant of "Attica, Attica", which is not explained in the film.  Attica Prison was the home to a riot in 1971, based in part on the prisoners' demands for better living conditions, and ending with numerous deaths of prisoners and prison staff alike.  This chant outside the bank robbery presumably was aimed at the police, intending to raise awareness of a situation that many believe could have been handled better by officials (much like chanting "Rodney King" at police after the brutalization of that individual), and hoping to avoid a bloodbath this time.

I liked the movie a lot.  It had heart, it had character, and the story moved.  For me, it's about 4-4.5 stars.  I've seen better, but this was solid.  If you liked... well, I'm kind of stumped for an analogous film.  It's not really a heist movie, because those tend to focus a lot on the preparation, and Dog Day Afternoon pretty much starts right up with the guys going into the bank.  I guess if you like human dramas that aren't too depressing, this film could do it for you.  It's got tension, so it's not boring; it's not fast-paced though, so you're not wound-up; it's got some lighthearted moments; it's got social commentary (not explicitly stated, but it's there for you to see).