Dog Day Afternoon (1975)

Sonny and Sal might be the least prepared bank robbers ever filmed. One partner loses his nerve before they’ve started, the vault is close to empty, and the cops arrive almost immediately. The honest knock: once night falls and the FBI takes over, the long phone calls slow things down, and James Broderick’s agent is so icy he barely seems human. Al Pacino is electric. Sonny is jittery, funny, kind to the hostages and terrified, and when he works the crowd outside like a rally, you watch a guy discovering he has an audience. John Cazale is heartbreaking as Sal, quiet and frightened and way out of his depth. The bank staff slowly start treating Sonny like a coworker having a rough day. Chris Sarandon’s phone scene as Leon is raw and tender. Sidney Lumet keeps this real robbery human, never flashy. A 9.1 because it’s tense, funny and deeply sad, often in the same minute. $762 says you think about Sonny’s phone calls the next time you’re on hold, and you’re a little kinder to whoever picks up.

What works: Al Pacino and John Cazale are extraordinary, and the movie finds humor and humanity in a standoff without ever losing the tension.

What doesn’t: The nighttime stretch with the FBI drags a bit, and the agents are written as cold blanks next to everyone else.

Who it’s for: Anyone who likes crime movies about people more than plans, and fans who want to see Pacino at his most alive.