Again a real life adaptation, this movie is simply brilliant. The plot is fairly simple. An amateurish bank robbery that 'Sonny' almost pulls off..or so he thinks... Al Pacino is brilliant as the young and inexperienced 'Sonny' who wants desperately to satisfy everybody around him but fails at it every time. On a 'Dog Day Afternoon' he tries to rob a bank so that his boyfriend can afford to have a sex-change operation. The relationship between his boyfriend and him is potrayed as naturally as possible.. in Sidney's own words ' as conflicts in any relationship are.. only these are normal people in a bizarre situation'. There is no exaggeration or stereotyping of the relationship.
There are several brilliant scenes that stand out for their most un-melodramatic rendition of humane emotions.
a) The top scene has to be 'Sonny's' dictation of the will.. ' To Leon.. the only man I ever loved' and 'To Angie.. the only woman I ever loved'
b) 'Sonny's' spontaneous screaming of the anti-establishment chant 'Attica' that is soon picked up by the gathered crowd
c) 'Sonny's' mom trying to convince him to surrender or run.. without listening to a single word he says. A single scene that tells us the exact relationship between him and the authority figures in his life
d) His telecons with his wife and Leo.. the rage, the love, the generosity.. Al outshines himself several times over!
There is not a single studio-shot in th entire movie and the effect is phenomenal.. you feel part of the crowd watching the action..only you have closer access to Sonny's real and self-exaggerated predicaments. Like in 'Donnie Brasco' where you cannot but grow fond of 'Lefty' despite who he is.. here you can't help feeling sorry for Sonny and what becomes of him despite the fact that he took an option that shouldnt have been one for him in the first place..
My Rating : 8/10
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