Al Pacino is arguably one of if not the greatest actor to grace our screens in the last forty years, so in celebration of his 74th birthday – that’s right I said – SEVENTY FOURTH birthday – I have compiled a list of his top 5 films.
It all started with The Godfather in the early 1970s. Pacino was 32 by the time this film was released, and although he had been involved in a couple of other projects prior to this, it was really The Godfather that put him on the map. The film earned him his first ever Academy Award nomination and since then he has been nominated another 7 times, but has only ever won once.
You could say Pacino became typecast after his breakthrough role in The Godfather as throughout the years he has mostly played either cops or criminals in a variety of crime thrillers/dramas/mysteries, but he is so outstanding in these roles that it’s difficult to complain about the fact that this is all he does. He has strayed outside of this genre a few times, but with only a few successes.
Even though the man is in his 70s, he has two films that are currently in post-production; Manglehorn where he plays an ex-con, and Imagine where he plays a musician who sets out to find his biological son. He is also in the middle of shooting a third film called The Humbling, which is being directed by Barry Levinson.
Al Pacino’s Top 5 Films (in chronological order)
1. Dog Day Afternoon
1975. Directed by Sidney Lumet.
Starring: Al Pacino, John Cazale and Charles Durning
Al Pacino is Sonny Wortzik; a young man whose attempt to rob a Brooklyn bank goes terribly wrong. Based on the true story, the film takes place over the period of this one afternoon in which we discover why Sonny, who is clearly not a criminal mastermind, tried to take down the bank in the first place. As the day wears on the FBI become involved, as do the media, and soon all sorts of people are staging demonstrations in the streets.
This is an intense, high-stakes drama that will have you on the edge of your seat the entire time, but how could you expect any less from Sidney Lumet? Even though the majority of the film unfolds in the one location, Lumet manages to hook you in and take you on an emotional rollercoaster from start to finish. Al Pacino is extremely convincing in this role, which earned him one of his eight Oscar nominations. He is passionate and sincere, and you will desperately want him to succeed in his plight, even though the odds are very much against him.
Special Mention: Serpico
Lumet and Pacino first collaborated on the 1973 film Serpico, another true story where Pacino stars as Frank Serpico, an honest cop who tries to clean out the rife corruption in the New York police force. This is an excellent film, and a great character piece that led to another Oscar nomination for Pacino, but it is not quite as riveting as Dog Day Afternoon.
2. Scarface
1983. Directed by Brian DePalma.
Starring: Al Pacino, Robert Loggia, Steven Bauer and Michelle Pfeiffer
In this remake of the 1932 film of the same title, Al Pacino plays ruthless Cuban refugee Tony Montana who works his way to the top of the drug cartel in Miami. Other than the fact that Tony Montana was an Italian called Tony Comante in the original, the 80s version is quite similar to the 1930s version, but of course with some modern additions. Apparently Chilean filmmaker Pablo Larraín is looking to make another Scarface film that will be set in Los Angeles and based around Mexican immigrants. As you can imagine, the concept has received a lot of outcry. No one likes to see the classics butchered, but if DePalma managed to avoid this in the 80s, maybe Larraín will manage to avoid it now.
Al Pacino is scintillating to watch in this film, but strangely he received no recognition from the Academy for this role. You may be sick and tired of stories about drug lords and gangsters, but you’ve got to remember that this is one of the early films that helped define this genre. Everything else that has been made since has been influenced in some way by this film and others of its time. Al Pacino running around with a machine gun screaming, “say hello to my little friend,” is one of the most memorable film scenes in history for a reason.
Special Mention: Carlito’s Way.
DePalma and Pacino also collaborated again 10 years after Scarface with Carlito’s Way. Pacino plays another Hispanic, except this time he is an ex-drug dealer who has just been released from prison and is determined to reform his life. There is a very suspenseful scene at a train station in Carlito’s Way which rivals DePalma’s train scene in The Untouchables, but the film as a whole, whilst excellent, is not quite as dynamic as Scarface.
3. Scent of a Woman
1992. Directed by Martin Brest
Starring: Al Pacino, Chris O’Donnell, Gabrielle Anwar and Phillip Seymour Hoffman
Before Chris O’Donnell (NCIS: LA) and Gabrielle Anwar (Burn Notice) were pumping out episodes of average television shows, they comprised the supporting cast to Al Pacino in Scent of A Woman. This is one of the few movies in which Pacino plays a role that has nothing to do with the police force or gangsters. This time Pacino is the blind and bad-tempered Lieutenant Colonel Frank Slade who spends his Thanksgiving in the care of young student Charlie Simms (Chris O’Donnell). All Charlie wants is to earn some easy money in order to pay for his university tuition, but he gets much more than he bargained for with the Lieutenant Colonel.
The film explores these two very different characters and the relationship that develops between them over the holiday period. It’s a very simple story that plays out in a captivating way. Pacino does old and bitter perfectly, and for once the Academy thought so too, awarding him his first and only Oscar for this role. Even Chris O’Donnell is good in this film, which is surprising considering his most recent work. Scent of A Woman is a coming of age story that is both heart-warming and heart-wrenching. A definite must-see.
4. Heat
1995. Written and Directed by Michael Mann
Starring: Al Pacino, Robert De Niro and Val Kilmer
I know I listed Heat in my Ashley Judd Top 5 list, but it is such an extraordinary film that I just have to use it on Pacino’s list as well. Pacino plays Vincent Hanna, an obsessed cop who will stop at nothing to catch Robert De Niro and his professional criminal gang.
What I love about this film is that it does not look at the world of crime as if it exists within this bubble that is completely separate from the rest of society. We see the home life of Vincent Hanna with his girlfriend (Diane Venora) and her daughter (Natalie Portman), which is equally significant and just as engaging to watch as the crime-based scenes. I think that Pacino must have really enjoyed playing Vincent Hanna. He completely loses himself in the character and he is even quite comedic at times. For me, this is one of the greatest performances that Pacino has ever delivered and yet the film has received very little recognition.
5. Insomnia
2002. Directed by Christopher Nolan.
Starring: Al Pacino, Robin Williams and Hilary Swank
Mysterious and chilling; Insomnia follows the murder case of a young teenage girl in an Alaskan town where the sun never sets. Al Pacino is Will Dormer, a detective from LA who is sent to the town to help with the investigation. During the investigation he meets Robin Williams who plays a creepy novelist who shared an unusual relationship with the deceased. Pacino and Williams cross paths throughout the film and each one tries to outsmart the other as they implicate one another in a variety of transgressions.
The choice of casting Robin Williams in this role is perfect as it is automatically disturbing to see the man who played Mrs Doubtfire now playing a psychopathic author. Pacino has the ability to say so much on screen with just a look. It feels as though he is looking through the camera and directly at you. The ethical dilemmas his character faces and the way in which the character chooses to deal with them is very intriguing to watch. This is not just a run-of-the-mill murder mystery; it’s not about who did it, but how to prove that they did. I’ve never really been a fan of Hilary Swank, but she is awesome in this as well. The whole film will make your skin crawl, but it’s totally worth watching!
Special Mentions:
The Godfather Series
1972, 1974 and 1990. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola
Starring: Al Pacino, Marlon Brando and Robert De Niro
Yes, I know – shock, horror! – none of The Godfather films made my top 5. All three films are equally amazing and possibly could have each taken out three of the spots on the list, but I personally prefer Al Pacino in the films I have listed in my top 5.
The Insider
1999. Directed by Michael Mann
Starring: Al Pacino and Russell Crowe
Images courtesy of Warner Bros, Universal Pictures & Buena Vista International
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