Overrated – Al Pacino
Ned Bitters |
This week’s inductee into the “Overrated Hall of Fame” is … Al Pacino.
Now, the man does deserve his mega-props for creating one of the screen’s most memorable characters, Michael Corleone. His work in the first two Godfather films remains a stunning tour-de-force of acting. Every single word or facial expression has purpose. You never see Al Pacino. Michael Corleone is a real person to anyone who has watched the movie over and over, and that is a testament to Pacino’s genius in that role.
I’ll also acknowledge the acting clinic he put on with his Dog Day Afternoon performance. Every time I watch that movie, I am mesmerized by the consistency of his character, the mega-stressed, bank robbery-botching Sonny. From beginning to end, his nervousness and barely-in-control anxiety are palpable. How in the hell did he channel the same frazzled Sonny every day? It’s one of the finest acting jobs ever put to film.
But since those early 70s performances, I can think of only one other great role by “one of America’s greatest actors of all time.” (I’d cite that quote, but there are too many instances of its use for me to worry about it.) He turned in a scintillating performance as the unctuous, trench-mouthed Ricky Roma in the sublime Glengarry Glen Ross. It’s the only other movie where I forget that he’s Al Pacino, and I get lost in the verbal stylings of the curse-spewing, olive oil smooth, real estate peddling Ricky Roma. You’ve never seen it? Netflix it today. Call me if you can think of another actor who has delivered a more delicious use of the words “fuck,” “fairy” and “cunt.” By the time that movie is over, I want to know Ricky Roma. I want to get rooked in a real estate deal by Ricky Roma. I want to be called a “stupid fucking cunt” by Ricky Roma.
But once you get past those three classic performances, it’s either munch-munch-munch on the scenery, or it’s “Look at me act, now. Watch me play the understated, tired, world-weary, pensive middle-aged man. Check out this technique!” I either cringe or nod off when I watch his other work.
Let’s start with the overacting. Scarface is a joke. I understand that the character’s excesses are symbolic of the high-flying greedfest that was the 80s, but I don’t think Pacino went over the top with that role on purpose. Along with all the verbal thrashing and screaming, he changes his accent every fourth line. He seems to move from Spanish to Portuguese to Italian to … I swear, in one scene he breaks into a Pakistani voice. Both the movie and his performance aren’t very good. It appeals to knuckleheads, mainly. Need proof? In the school where I work, many of the dumbest teenagers today walk around with Tony Montana shirts, thinking it’s gangsta.
But Pacino’s Tony Montana seems almost sedate if compared to his embarrassingly burst-through-the screen turn as the blind ex-Marine in Scent of a Woman, an unwatchable piece of dreck with bad acting and a stupid message. (“You signed an honor code, kid? Fuck it. Break it to cover for a buddy. Even though it goes against everything this career Marine stands for, blow it off.”) Every famous actor eventually takes his gimp role, and this was Pacino’s. Gee, what a bravura performance, what with all that straight-ahead, look-how-blind-I-am staring. In his pathetic grasp for the Oscar he was robbed out of for the Godfathers I and II, he not only took the gimp role, he included a surefire Oscar-attention-grabbing catchphrase, in this case the insanely irritating and oft-imitated “Hoo-haaaahhhh!” I’m surprised he didn’t go for the slamdunk Oscar trifecta and die before the Oscar vote.
The roles in which he didn’t holler and wail for two hours weren’t much better. Heat, Carlito’s Way and Insomnia were examples of the “Watch Me Act” method of acting. I don’t see a character when I watch those movies. I see Al Pacino saying, “This is how it’s done. See how less is more? See how little it takes to show and say so much?” At least that’s what I see before I nod off.
At least those movies were decent, which is more than can be said for disasters like The Devil’s Advocate, Two Bits and Any Given Sunday. Donnie Brasco was saved by Johnny Depp, as are most movies that star Johnny Depp.
I’m sure his latest movie, in which he is paired with Robert DeNiro, another aging legend who has been phoning it in for years, is a mess. Even the trailers, which I saw four or five times, couldn’t make that movie enticing.
The funny thing is that, despite my dismissive put-down of his highly lucrative career, I really like Al Pacino. It’s not like his acting makes me want to punch him in the face through the screen every time I see him try to pass off a contorted face, some loud screams and a few hands run through the hair as acting. That’s Sean Penn. Maybe he peaked artistically too soon, like Brando, who lived off of On the Waterfront fumes for 30 years.
I’d be willing to tell this to Big Al’s face, but I wouldn’t do it to hurt his feelings. It would just make my life to have him listen, pause, then say, a la Ricky Roma, “You stupid fucking cunt.”
Ned Bitters is, in fact, overrated. You can contact him at teacherslounge@hobotrashcan.com.
I think you were far to kind on Heat.
That scene where he has Hank Azaria in an interrogation room and he shouts, “She has a GREAT ASS … and you had your head ALL THE WAY UP IT!” was officially the moment I stopped taking Al Pacino seriously.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5vlco4yvSc
Just watch his eyes bug out and his hands cup an imaginary ass and try not to laugh at how ridiculous it is.
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I admit Pacino has n annoying tendency to play himself from time to time. But ure being way too harsh on him. His role as Frank Serpico was brilliant, whihc u didnt seem to mention at al. He was great in Heat nd really good in Carlito’s Way and insomnia. He was magnificent as Lefty in Donnie Brasco- a great restrained performnace. He was better than Depp in that movie (who was also good)- especially in the last scene of the movie. He Gve 2 oscar worthy performances in The Insider and Looking For Richard. I actually liked him in Scarface nd Scent of a woman tbh- not sayin he was great tho.Still one of the greatest actors of all time- unfortunately directors don’t know what to do with him sometimes.
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I with Sugan on this one, you posted way too much hate in your article. Johnny Depp never “saved Donnie Brasco”, critics praised Pacino because it was his most subtle performance from the 90’s. Your argument against the movie made no sense. He took over the last third of The Insider; yes he still had a speech but it wasn’t overacted, and as soon as you think you’ll hear full blown yelling he’s interrupted by another actor (that never happens to Pacino). Scarface was meant to be over the top because of the character’s purpose, it’s a tough guy version of Rocky Horror. I agree it’s not that great, but it’s also not that bad. It’s also the tenth ranked gangster film of all time according to AFI, and in the words of Martin Scorsese “This is great, but be prepared to have everyone hate it in Hollywood, because it’s all about them”. But I do agree with you about Scent of a Woman, the academy was apologizing that year, but it wasn’t Al’s fault.
He has also won two Emmy awards in the past ten years for different material. That has to be more than just a coincidence, as I’ve actually seen those two performances.
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I’m with Sugan on this one, there is way too much hate in this article; you’re argument against Donnie Brasco made no sense You should also take note of the fact that he’s won two Emmy awards in the past ten years for different material, and could potentially win a third for playing Joe Paterno. Scarface was meant to be over the top because of the character’s personality, and that doesn’t count as overacted because no other actor could ever be pictured for that part, he made it his own forever. It was also ranked tenth on AFI’s top ten “Greatest Ganster Films” list, just saying; and in the words of Martin Scorsese (one of cinema’s greatest directors), “This is great, but be prepared to have everyone hated in Hollywood, because it’s all about them”. But I do agree with Scent of a Woman, that was the academy saying sorry, it’s still not Al’s fault though.
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Sorry about that second similar comment, I wasn’t sure the first one had posted.
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What a dumbass. Who cares what pacino thinks . Typical out of touch hollywood dimwit.
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Al Pacino became loud and annoying right after his performance in The Godfather, ( a performance of brilliant understated acting). He then morphed into this bombastic, frenzied creature who played every character much in the same manner. He should have quit acting after his turn in The Godfather!
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You nailed it. I was in tears laughing and nodding my head. He overacts. And the weird accents?
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