Last night, a friend and I watched Devil’s Advocate. (Hey, you celebrate Easter your way, I’ll celebrate mine.) We agreed we give it 10 minutes before deciding whether to watch it or not, and were completely sucked in before Pacino even showed up. Not a good movie, by any stretch of the imagination – but really, really entertaining. (And good lord, Charlize Theron is just truly ridiculously beautiful.)
So I’ve been meditating on Al Pacino. Saw his Merchant of Venice a few weeks ago – he was good in that, and watching him and Jeremy Irons was definitely a treat. Scent of a Woman – ummmm… Godfather – brilliant, obviously. So he can act, and not just “act,” when controlled sufficiently.
But there’s something so freaking entertaining about watching him grab big handfuls of scenery and chew it with relish – esp. when that’s what the role was designed for, as it was in Devil’s Advocate. That widened-eye “ha!” is just fabulous. The look he exchanges with Keanu when the woman prepares to give him a blow job in the restaurant – wonderful.
I thought Scent of a Woman was one of his worst jobs ever. Personally, I don’t really care for Scarface or the character he played in Carlitto’s Way and I thought he came across as a real idiot in Looking for Richard.
He seemed to go through a stage there (early 90’s – I know Scarface was way before that) where he was always over the top, always bellowing. Throw that City Hall movie in there.
However, I really liked him back in Dog Day and Godfather and I thought he best modern performances were when he toned it down a lot. . .notably in Donnie Brasco (maybe my favorite roll of his) and Insomnia.
I didn’t like Heat when it came out, but it’s grown on me a little.
So, he’s a guy I either love or hate. And I like the fact that he at least moves me, and never leaves me neutral.
One strike against Pacino: I’ve never seen him do comedy. I think the true greats (of which he’s always a part of the discussion) must do comedy.
Merchant of Venice is considered one of Shakespeare’s comedies.
Good point, though. I loved Brando in The Freshman, De Niro was okay in [bMeet the Parents, Chrisopher Walken and Sissy Spacek were delightfully surreal in Blast from the Past.
I haven’t seen Heat – I’m gathering the consensus is “no” on that one?
Heat is an awesome movie, although maybe not specifically because of Pacino’s performance. It is interesting though to watch it knowing that he and DeNiro refused to be filmed together, even though they’re the two main characters and have a couple of scenes in which they “appear” to be together.
Has anyone mentioned Angels in America? He was great in that, as well. I like how he continues to do challenging roles, instead of just coasting on his name and reputation- coughDeniro*cough.
Yeah, De Niro really has mainstreamed it for a long time.
I think he’s done some great comedies (Midnight Run, Meet the Parents, Analyze This) but he’s really just playing off the same type he always plays.
Still, you need timing and delivery, and an ear for it. I’m of the mind that comedy is the most difficult to do.
twickster, Heat is probably worth watching. Directed by Michael Mann, of Miami Vice fame, but also a guy who made Manhunter, Collateral, and other things. It’s good guys/bad guys and has a big scene at a cliche dockside plant with lots of pipes belching steam but definitely entertaining.
Sure, he was decent in Carlito’s Way and OK, he was excellent in the Godfather movies. But Scent of a Woman was sheer torture and I think he now plays the same damn (obnoxious) character in every movie. I avoid his movies at all cost. I may check out Serpico sometime just because I’ve heard its so good and he was younger then and not so stuck in his rut as he is now. But otherwise, I think he kinda sucks.
This, by the way, is a goofy urban legend that director Michael Mann talks about on the new special edition Heat DVD. During the commentary for the diner scene he actually points out several times different ways you can tell that both shots are being filmed at the same time.
Oh man, I still haven’t recovered from Looking for Richard. “But Richard doesn’t start with G …” My head very nearly exploded.
For me, there are a few amazing Pacino performances (Serpico, Glengarry Glen Ross) and many not-so-great ones. For an actor who gets as much acclaim as he does, I’m always surprised by his signal to noise ratio.
I adored him in Glengarry Glen Ross and Insomnia. In fact, I thought he was so good in Insomnia that I forgot I was watching Al Pacino, if that makes sense.
I also watch The Devil’s Advocate (especially the final 20 minutes!) every chance I get. I agree that it’s not a great movie…or even a good movie…but it’s so much fun!
I saw Looking for Richard last week on IFC and I wasn’t paying too much attentiong through most of it, but the scene with Winona Ryder, when he’s convincing her character to marry him, was amazing I thought.
I’ve been growing increasingly tired of his over-acting. Marley nailed it when he said that Pacino has become a paradody of himself. His sense of self-importance comes across too heavily onscreen. When he and DeNiro had that scene in the diner in Heat, I could just see him thinking the scene would go down in history as the meeting of two great film icons.
Yeah I think his performance in “Glengarry Glen Ross” was fantastic. Think about the scene where Kevin Spacey’s character (Williamson) completely ruins a big sale Pacino just made and think of the way he insults Spacey. “Hey, Williamson, I’m talking to you, shithead. You just cost me $6,000. Six thousand dollars…” The language gets even worse but I bet everyone who has seen that movie remembers that scene. I think Al Pacino played it without chewing the scenery but gave it the anger that those circumstances warranted.
If you want to see more “Glengarry” quotes, click here:
I’ve seen Pacino in 25 diifferent roles (well 23 allowing that 3 were Michael Corleone) and think he was great in 5 of the last 6: Insomnia, Any Given Sunday, The Insider, Donnie Brasco and Heat. Since he made those he has won an Emmie and a Golden Globe for Angels in America which I didn’t bother watching.
