Directed by:
Sidney LumetCinematography:
Arthur J. OrnitzComposer:
Mikis TheodorakisCast:
Al Pacino, John Randolph, Biff McGuire, Jack Kehoe, Barbara Eda-Young, Cornelia Sharpe, Tony Roberts, John Medici, Allan Rich, Norman Ornellas, Edward Grover (more)VOD (5)
Plots(1)
A disturbing portrait of corruption and morality in the city that never sleeps. A plainclothes street patrolman, Frank Serpico (Al Pacino) might be the best cop in New York, but his unwillingness to play dirty and give into police corruption of drugs, violence, and kickbacks his colleagues indulge in every day. When he decides to expose those around him, Frank finds himself a target, not just to the city's criminals, but his own peers. Shot on location and based on real events, Serpico captures the grit of New York in a way no film has rivalled, not just for its toned down realism, but also the bleakness Lumet portrays within his hometown city with brutal cynicism with frank immediacy. (Eureka Entertainment)
(more)Reviews (7)
I expected more from this. The premise of a man fighting on his own against pervasive police corruption is extremely interesting, but Sydney Lumet decided to execute it in a way that didn't appeal to me at all. Cinematically, I don't think there's much to fault, and I might even be able to forgive Serpico for completely sidelining suspense, action or investigative methods at the expense of Pacino's character, who barely leaves the screen and everything revolves around him. What I couldn't get over, however, was that a story that could have been easily compressed into 100 minutes was stretched to more than two hours. An even Pacino's excellent performance can't completely obscure the fact that I was very bored and that the psychological and moral face of the film didn't impress me nearly as much as it was probably intended to.
()
Frank Serpico engages in a fight against windmills in the shape of police corruption. Lumet’s sure direction and the well-written screenplay form a firm foundation for the main asset that takes Serpico almost to the highest of heights. That asset is the one-man show delivered by the young Al Pacino. Of course, this is occasionally needlessly over the top, at the expense of the other interesting characters, motifs and storylines. As a movie - excellent, as a gala performance by Pacino - fascinating and, as a whole, rightly a police classic.
()
Serpico is a concept in and of itself and originally, I gave it four stars. But when I watched it again years later, I couldn't find a single reason to defend those stars. Al Pacino is decent, but he has acted much more prominently in many other films and here, he delivers only his usual average. The direction, in my opinion, is also average and the script doesn't contain anything groundbreaking either. So, what remains is the topic of corruption, but that is not a reason to rate it any higher. Overall impression: 60%.
()
A riveting picture with the wonderful Al Pacino as Frank Serpico, a cop who wasn’t afraid to stand up against his colleagues. Everybody made fun of him, despised him, threatened him and even wanted to kill him. He ruined his life fighting for good and what did he get in return? Nothing. Sidney Lumet really nails the corruption-ridden atmosphere of the movie, maintains suspense, keeping you right inside the story. I especially appreciate however honest Serpico is, he also has faults and certainly isn't perfect, but he’s a regular guy who wants to do the right thing.
()
An ode to the character of Al Pacino, and by extension, his captivating performance in the lead role. His cop portrays one of the most tenacious guardians of the law in the history of the silver screen, and it’s definitely worth watching. Unfortunately, major technical errors and deficiencies and the simplicity and straightforwardness of the screenplay bring down the film to an average level. The blatantly botched editing work in the faster-paced scenes, coupled with the insane artificial blood, will not exactly uplift the viewer. Nevertheless, it is difficult to be too angry at this legend. Al is a great likable character and practically carries the film all on his own.
()
First-class film. Even though it's a just a little weaker than Pacino and Lumet's other collaboration, Dog Day Afternoon, I have to give it five stars. For its authenticity. Sad.
()
For me, this is a showcase of great filmmaking from the director's perspective, as well as the superb acting displayed by Al Pacino, who is just incredible, transforming from a relatively naive cop into someone who cannot be easily broken and still pursues his goals relentlessly. He absolutely nailed it, and it's evident that this story was written by life itself, because it's ugly and cruel.
()
Ads