An interesting look back at the way things were…and how they’re not necessarily so different from now after all. Sure, there are major differences between now and the mid '70s, as we see in this film—but there are some similarities, too, stuff that would be somewhat hidden in a time capsule like this one if you don’t specifically look for them. For instance, as shown in this slice-of-the-criminal-life in disco-era New York City, the people and the cops have not always the best of friends, just as they have been experiencing some tension these days. This is all the more true as relates to certain cultural subgroups; ethnic and sexual cohorts come into play here, in a tableau that vaguely mirrors what you see today. Beyond all that, what this film is really all about is the raging talent that Al Pacino was back in the day (and can still be, occasionally, when he calls up the energy). This is truly his show, and his performance is a tour-de-force in commanding the stage (so to speak) and standing front and center all the way through. He's so dominant that the viewer could possibly even miss out on noting the scattering of later-famous faces that populate the supporting cast (abetted considerably by the fact that, in a few cases, they’re barely recognizable to later eyes). On top of it all, the film presents a story that is packed with both humor and tension; it veers between the absurd and the deadly serious in a most entertaining way, and the entire work demands the audience's attention all the way through. I don't know that a movie like this could be made today--which is why it is all the more important that it be relished as both a message from the past and a terrific piece of cinema.
