Serpico

Rating:
Summary: Powerful, but one problem
Review: "Serpico" holds up well today (as do all of Lumet's films). Pacino is explosive, the story is compelling, and New York comes alive as only Lumet can make it. The problem is with the score, which is beautiful, but its elegiac nature only fits well with a few parts of the movie, whereas it's been pasted pretty much throughout, regardless of how discordant it is to a particular scene. Counterpoint can be effective, but the score of this movie just becomes grating, insisting as it does that what we're seeing is not only tragic, but past, when all we want to do is get lost in the excitement of the *now.*

Rating:
Summary: Nobody touches Pacino
Review: A man with such an ethnic look that he can play a Jew, Italian, Cuban, Puerto Rican ------ what's next?

Rating:
Summary: Serpico Finally in Widescreen
Review: After years of having to live with the previous VHS release, with its sides cropped and its colors faded, I was more than pleased to finally see "Serpico" as originally intended, in widescreen, and gorgeous Technicolor. The score and audio tracks have also been cleaned up in this Paramount re-release, and it's worth every cent.

Sidney Lumet is often thought of as an actors' director, more so than a cinematic genius, but "Serpico" more than delivers in both arenas. Al Pacino's portrayal of the eccentric Frank Serpico -- a NYPD cop of unyielding integrity -- is one of his best roles ever. He's animated, tough and very human in his role, and one can sense that a lot of the real Serpico rubbed off on him. "Serpico" also boasts an excellent supporting cast. Aside from Tony Roberts, who was already well-known from his roles in Woody Allen movies, take a look at these then-unknowns, who would soon either make it big, or be regulars in cop and crime movies: Alan North, Jack Kehoe, Tony Lo Bianco, Richard Foronjy, F. Murray Abraham, Judd Hirsch.

Director Lumet is featured in the two "making of" featurettes that are included on the DVD, and it's fascinating hearing his method of shooting and his and producer Martin Bregman's reminisences. I had only wished that Pacino was also included, but since I don't buy DVDs for the bonus material, not a big loss for me.

This is one of the best transfers of a preservation print from the 1970s, an era of notoriously quickly deteriorating color negatives. Thank you, Paramount, for giving "Serpico" the TLC it deserved.

Rating:
Summary: One Good Cop
Review: Al Pacino became a star thanks to his role as Michael Corleone in The Godfather. The film that cemented Mr. Pacino as one of the best actors of his generation was Serpico. Based on the Peter Maas book of the same name, Serpico is the true story of a New York undercover cop who seems to be the only honest cop on the force. Due to his honest nature, the other cops are leery of him and refuse to accept him as a real cop. To that end, he moves from precinct to precinct in search of a friendly work environment, but wherever he goes, he finds the same old situation. Serpico then goes to the higher-ups in the department, but they too have no use for his accusations. Finally, he goes public with his accusations and that triggers an investigation into the dealings of police officers. Serpico becomes a marked man and is nearly intentionally killed by another cop who while Serpico is on an undercover operation. Mr. Pacino brings a realistic approach to the role and you feel sympathy for Serpico. He is not a great man, he has his faults, but he believes in what he does and he takes a stand for his belief that policeman should serve the public and not illegally benefit from their position of power.

Rating:
Summary: Tough as nails.
Review: Al Pacino is a short man, but one won't recognize that because he gives such awesome performances. In 'Serpico' Al shows us he just doesn't do gangster roles. Based on a true story, 'Serpico' is about an honest cop who is caught in a dishonest police department. The beginning sequences are dreamy and happy, but soon it becomes much darker. Soon Serpico realizes being honest is more dangerous then being corrupt. The entire department is against him and there are physical attacks on him. It goes to the point where he loses his girlfriend. That was good though because the girlfriend was a bad actress. That was one of two main flaws of the movie. Some of the acting was bad and the screenplay was weak. Oh well, one can't expect brilliancy at every turn.
The other star of the film is the director, Sidney Lumet, who is one of the most underrated directors I know of. Lumet films are always set in New York and always involve tough characters. Although he uses limited ideas and settings, his films are always good. They never become tiresome and one knows they have spent their time well watching them. 'Serpico' is no exception.

Rating:
Summary: A Disappointment from Two Cinema Greats
Review: Any film directed by Sidney Lumet and starring Al Pacino should be great, but "Serpico" is mediocre at best. Chronicling the true-life story of Frank Serpico, a police officer who exposed corruption in the NYPD, the film comes from that exquisite golden age of cinema, lasting from the late '60s through the late '70s, when paranoia infected the country and our most trusted and honored institutions were becoming suspect. It's got the grainy, neo-realistic feel that so many of the films from that time period had (and as many of Lumet's own films had), yet it never really works. Lumet's pacing is poor; no scene lasts longer than a minute or two. While one would think this would make for a film with some narrative drive to it, just the opposite happens. It's as if in the editing room all of the important parts of each scene got left out, and what we've been given as a final product is an outline of Serpico's story. No characters beyond Pacino's is really developed, and even he struggles to make something substantial out of his role. This came directly on the heels of "The Godfather" from the year before, the film that put Pacino on the map. "Serpico" gives testament to Pacino's abilities and range as an actor; his performance is quite different from that of Michael Corleone. But for me, it's not until his mesmerizing performance in "Dog Day Afternoon" from 1975 that Pacino really flexes his acting muscles and shows what a true cinematic treasure he is.

26 years later, Pacino was to star in "The Insider," another thriller where he played a character who helps to expose corruption, this time in the world of corporate America. My advice is to see "Serpico" for the place it holds in Pacino's career, but then see "The Insider" for a suspenseful, terrific movie.

Grade: C

Rating:
Summary: The reason they make films in the beginning...
Review: Before anyone who is expecting a good old-fashioned Good Cop V.S. Bad Asses action thriller, hold your horses. Although it is unlikely that anyone who really enjoys a piece of fine motion picture should be disappointed by "Serpico", there are no nature-defying stunts, bloodthirsty lengthy shoot-out, or high-speed downtonw car chase. All you will get, is a near-perfect blend of gripping story (based on true event), mesmerizing performances, and skillful yet subtle and minimal directing. "Serpico" is not a story about a supercop on his way to solve a gruesome crime done by some twisted psychopath, with extreme force or genius instincts. Yes, "Serpico" is a courageous and heroic figure, but he is also as down to earth as your next door neighbor painting his house. This is about a personal struggle, a tough test on a individual's hope, faith, and moral. While this movie may not be described as an epic masterpiece, it is indeed a milestone in cinematic achievements.

By this DVD, Paramount did a great job preserving this film that made Al Pacino being reconized as one of the finest actor in our era. The picture is sharp and clean, though at time the colors may seem muddy. The 5.1 Dolby Digital is as good as you could expect from a sound track remastered from it's mono original. Whileas it may not give your surround system a good workout, it does provide a better dimension to some of the much-needed ambience.

For extra, "Serpico: from Real to Reel" is a short documentary about the birth of this movie, and "Inside Serpico" is a longer behind-the-scenes featurette which reveals more lights from the history, production, and the public reaction upon its release back in 1973. Most part of these documentaries conisists largely of newly-filmed interview clips with producer Martin Bregman and director Sidney Lumet. To top it off, there is also a 2 minutes, yet somehow redundant "Serpico: Favorite Moments" interview clips with Bregman and Lumet each talking about their favorite part of the movie. All these could be string together to be a more fluent featurette, but I guess by seperating them this way, they could make the Special Features resume looks more impressive.
There is also a Photo Gallery and a Original Trailor available.

Rating:
Summary: The New York I remember
Review: Before there were computer print-outs there was Serpico.
Excellent DVD with good picture and sound. A winner. A must have. A top ten.

Rating:
Summary: Brilliant, and it's true
Review: Fantastic film with Al Pacino in the title role playing Frank Serpico, a real-life NYPD detective whose integrity nearly cost him his life (by disgruntled co-workers) and definitely cost him his career. This movie made Pacino an icon during the 70s, and he's never slowed down since. The plot is that Serpico goes undercover to ferret out other cops who are on the take.
When we first watched this film it was on TV, and about 15 minutes from the end we suffered a power outage - and we freaked out, ran outside, up and down the block, looking for a neighbor who maybe still had power. No such luck, of course: the whole area was blacked out. It was about 3 years later that we rented it in video and finally got to watch the rest of it. Well worth the weight, but talk about frustration!
Don't miss it.

Rating:
Summary: Honesty Is the Best Policy - Or Is It?
Review: For many viewers of my generation, the definitive Al Pacino performance is the Cuban drug lord Tony Montana in Brian DePalma's 1983 "Scarface" ("Say 'allo to muh lil' friend!"). But for me, the cream of Pacino's crop was in the 1970s, and among his great performances in that decade was in the 1973 movie "Serpico." In this feature directed by Sidney Lumet (who also directed another Pacino film, 1975's "Dog Day Afternoon"), Al plays a cop who joins the force with the best of intentions. He's honest, sincere, and treats criminal suspects impartially--qualities that should enable an officer to advance in his field. Instead, Frank's kindness and humanity make him an object of scorn and contempt among his peers, who engage in shady dealings and suspicious activity. Frank's job ultimately takes a toll on his life, both professionally and romantically, and by the end of the movie, he's transformed from an eager-to-please cop to a jaded officer. The movie is an effective and scathing commentary on police corruption, and it earned Pacino his first Academy Award nomination for Best Actor (he was previously nominated for Best Supporting Actor for 1972's "The Godfather"). The DVD offers a decent picture and surround sound for a movie of this age, and the extras include retrospective interviews with the filmmakers. I was disappointed that Pacino isn't featured in any of these interviews, but aside from that, I thought they were overall informative. I'd hesitate to call "Serpico" a classic, but it's a fine and gritty drama that has an award-calibre performance by Pacino.