Dog Day Afternoon tells the story of Sonny and Sal, two guys that robbed a bank in Brooklyn. They had a plan but right after a few minutes after they entered the bank, things went wrong! They made everybody a hostage and the street turned into a big circus full of cops, media and lots of people just to see where that situation was going to end. Very simple story with a great performance by Al Pacino, as usual!

Al Pacino plays Sonny, and Sonny is probably the most insecure and confused bank robber of all time in film! The most interesting fact about the character is that you start to feel empathy for him, you want everything to go well. He is a bank robber and you feel sorry for him.

Overall, is a great thriller with a fantastic lead performance and great supporting performances. At the end it can be very touching. This film is based on true events.

I found this film surprisingly endearing and funny. It's got a really interesting tone to it, combining the typical cop movie with a real human story, making Sonny a great leading character, you wanna know more and more about. Of course, we can't judge the quality of a movie like this based on how much it stays true to the real life story because film makers are allowed to take liberties and make different choices. In this case i'm glad they did because the real guy wouldn't have made me root for him at all, and Al Pacino's Sonny did just that. His performance was, obviously, the highlight of the film. I love him so much, what a man, what an actor!

I love Al Pacino but this movie is one of the most overrated pieces of shit ever

A real classic that asks some difficult questions about the roles celebrity, money and responsibility play in our everyday lives. Al Pacino puts so much into his portrayal of Sonny, the stressed-out intellectual pressed a few steps over the edge, that it's no surprise he nearly suffered a nervous breakdown on the set. It's genuinely amazing how much quality characterization the filmmakers were able to fit into this regularly-sized package, and not just for the lead parts. By the time Sonny, Sal and their hostages are ready to leave the confines of the bank behind, we know more intimate details about every one of them (and, perhaps, ourselves as a society) than we ever could've guessed going in.

Throwing out the script and using largely improvised dialog was a key decision, and transforms a film that could have easily become a thin piece of exploitation into something much more vivid and real. It does slow down quite a bit just before the climax, but in the grand scheme that only adds more drama to the rapid-fire conclusion.

Good movie based on a true story about a bank robbery gone all wrong from the moment they enter the bank. Lesson learned is that Sonny and Sal are too nice to rob a bank successfully.

lovely al pacino, heeey al pacino, '"al pacino"'.

"Sal, Wyoming's not a country."

I was shocked by how much dark humor this has. It's amazing this is based on a true story. The story is nuts and very entertaining. It does start to lose a little steam near the end. Al Pacino and John Cazale are both fantastic.

I can hardly believe how these people could do so much stupid things. Why they needed more than 250 cops against two people in a bank robbery, if they did almost nothing? Why the crowd loved Sonny, a BANK ROBBER? Why the cops did a lot of favours for Sonny, even so there were hostages inside? They could do most of the deeds in another way. And the biggest thing I don't understand, why the hostages treat the robbers as friend after a time?

A hostage robbery with a 1970s look.

It starts like a fairly predictable heist film, it’s to the point where I’d argue that the first hour is a little by the numbers and I couldn’t figure out what made it so special. During the second half, the film reveals itself to be something more interesting and progressive, which all has to do with the motivation of Pacino’s character. His performance is excellent and I think it was a great call to make his character nervous and insecure, not some criminal mastermind. Lumet’s direction is gritty, tense and interesting, while also maintaining a strong eye for subtle, dark comedy. It’s not really deep or layered, or the most pulpy, exciting heist film out there, but it is certainly emotionally resonant and memorable.

7.5/10

It has its moments...
There were moments of laughter...
I liked the characters, and the way the hostages were relaxed and calm... Lol
The ending was what I expected....

Not much really to add that hasn’t already been said, the movie is a classic for a reason, and even with almost every hostage movie since stealing from it in one way or another, this film still feels completely unique. Great performances all around and the first half is funnier than I remember. Do yourself a favor.

The first hour of this movie is a powerhouse of comedic timing and facetious storytelling. It expertly tiptoes the line between tension, comedy and drama that very few movies can emulate or even attempt. What comes later is a more run of the mill hostage scenario movie but brings in some social discussion and conversations about misinformation that was surprising to me from a movie made in 1975. Crazy that this actually happened and from my very light research sounds like it was played quite accurately too. Pacino dominates with his usual charisma and explosive tantrums, while Cazale plays the reserved panic of Sal to a believable timbre. Great stuff to kick off my project of watching the top 3 movies of each year. I should have done this sooner.