Dog Day Afternoon

Dog Day Afternoon; Immediately grabs your attention and deftly weaves through tones of comedy, drama and action guided by the superb performances of Pacino and the entire cast. The energy is electric as the robbery deteriorates and the pathos is palpable in how the story is written and directed; A+

Heat

Heat; Compelling cat and mouse between Pacino and DeNiro is bolstered by a stellar supporting cast and phenomenal direction. Heists provide a burst of action in between equally explosive relationship scenes. Parallels between cops and criminals are beautifully crafted; A

Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood

Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood; Evokes mood & menace of era w/masterful performances yet still underwhelms in its rewriting of history. Seems one of our most beloved filmmakers is more in love w/his own fancies than the audience’s journey, though we will follow him anywhere; B+

The Devil's Advocate

Directed by:  Taylor Hackford
Starring:  Keanu Reeves, Al Pacino, Charlize Theron, Jeffery Jones
Running Time:  2h 24min

Pacino sinks his teeth into a role he was meant to play (no disrespect meant).  Reeves and Theron find themselves lucky to share this script with him.  It's fantastic!  It would have rated an A+ if it weren't for those two actors and their inability to rise to Pacino's level (a tough task undoubtedly).  The movie stays unsettling and scary but still manages to give us humour (in camp form) and psychological intrigue.  What's at stake for Reeves still seems personal even though it means a whole lot more in the scheme of things, which allows the audience to be involved on multiple levels.  The powerlessness of Reeves vs. the devil echoes the mass audience's own feelings but the thing that allows us to keep hope still remains.  And it's not God for once!

Grade: A

Donnie Brasco

Directed by:  Mike Newell
Starring:  Johnny Depp, Al Pacino, Michael Madsen, Bruno Kirby, Anne Heche
Running Time:  2h 06min

A thespian lover's ideal pairing of one of today's greatest actors and tomorrow's best, as Pacino and Depp form an amazing relationship at the heart of what would be just another mob movie.  Now mob movies are generally interesting and the reason why they usually hold strong to their audience is the combination of a good script, interesting characters, excellent acting, talented direction, and the portrayal of a different set of morals and lifestyles.  This movie has all of that, as well as a constant presence of danger.  Depp plays the role spendidly, really intertwining his character's relationship with Pacino.  At first it seems forced, but as he grows in the movie you see that Depp purposely plays it that way.  There isn't room for all my praise.

Grade: A