Viewed in
2008
Premise
Based on a true story about bank robbery/hostage situation that turned into a media circus.
Who should watch
Al Pacino fans. Those who love a great story with great writing.
Thoughts
What an awesome film.
Not only was I on pins and needles, but I was blind-sided by the unexpected humor of the whole situation. Like his other masterpiece, 'Network', Sidney Lumet created genuine, desperate characters caught in incredible situations of madness. For the longest time, I always saw the 'Attica' scene out of context. I finally understood how special that scene was, and I smile every time I think about it. As with 'Network', I was shocked by the timelessness of the themes and how it was a harbinger of today's world of media.
Last but not least, there was the great Al Pacino. Of all the films I have seen, I think this was his best work, mainly because I did not see him as Al Pacino, but as Sonny the desperate man.
This tour de force of a film deserved all the accolades. I will now bow down to Sidney Lumet's greatness.
What I would change
Nothing.
Random
I never knew about the true story this was based on, so I seriously did not know who was going to survive the ordeal. During the climax, I had flashbacks of the climax of Speilbergs' 'Munich'.
Also, the homosexual aspect of the story probably was much more jarring to the audience back in the 1970's. Still, it was handled realistically.
