Al Pacino's best role?

[maveric]

So many to choose from by this brilliant actor, so I listed the ones I thought to be his finest.

My Choice is "Sonny", from Dog day Afternoon. He should received the Oscar for that role, IMHO.

[maveric]

1. Wow! So far none for the Godfather roles. n/t

[Bucky]

2. He didn't really "push it" with that role. The character's too formal

The blind southern colonel in Scent of a Woman was fantastic. But I'd have to go with an obscure artsy role he did for an independent movie three years ago. He was Viktor Taransky in "S1m0ne", playing a totally on the edge of insanity movie director who makes a star out of a secretly digital actress.

No one does, "barely holding on" better than Pacino.

As for all those gangster movies... feh. Not my cup of tea. If I wanted to glorify violence, I'd get married again.

[Shakespeare]

3. Dear god, I was the first one to vote for GFII?

That Judas-turning-on-Judas scene where he embraces Fredo, whispers in his ear and says "I know it was you, Fredo." Awesome performance, awesome movie.

[Bucky]

4. As above... Victor Taransky in "S1m0ne"

Some lines from that movie:

"Creative differences? The difference is, you're not creative.
"You know, it's easier to fool a hundred thousand people than just one."
"Our ability to manufacture fraud now exceeds our ability to detect it."


Viktor: Do you know why I, Viktor Taransky, two-time Academy Award nominated director...

Elaine: Viktor, that was short subjects.

Viktor: ...overseeing the most cherished movie project of my entire career, am walking around with - look, look, look - pockets full of these... things?

Elaine: Well, I have a feeling you're gonna tell me.

Viktor: I'm gonna tell ya why. Because Miss Nicola Anders, supermodel with a SAG card, has it written in her contract that all cherry Mike and Ike's be removed from her candy dish, along with strict instructions that any room she walks into must have seven packs of cigarettes waiting for her, three of them open. That there be a personal Jacuzzi within eighty paces of her dressing room, and that any time she travels, her nanny must fly with her, first class.

Elaine: So? What's wrong with that?

Viktor: Elaine, she doesn't have children.

[Road Scholar]

5. Godfather nt

[DoBotherMe]

6. Shylock in the "Merchant of Venice"

[maveric]

7. That was ok but his NY accent surfaced a few times.

Not quite as bad as Tony Curtis in some of his costume epics, but it was noticable.

[YankeyMCC]

8. Scarface just edges out

Michael from GFI

Maybe it was more to do with the dialog than the acting performance but the scarface character just made a bigger impression on me.

[ET Awful]

9. Tough call . . . Sonny is a good choice, but one that's not on your list

that I loved him in was Lefty in Donnie Brasco.

[Kat45]

12. YES! That was an excellent, understated performance.

People sometimes criticize Pacino for being over-the-top, but that role showed that he can be subtle as well. I thought he should have won Best Supporting Actor for that role, but apparently it was so understated that it wasn't noticed. (The film coming out early in the year didn't help either.)

[PassingFair]

16. Funny, that came up the other day at work and I said the same thing...

about the Donny Brasco character.
He really seemed to love "Donny" and I felt he and Depp must have really gotten along well.
I also LOVE the character of the lawyer who screamed "YOU'RE OUTTA ORDER"
in the movie "And Justice for All".

[DS1]

10. I can't say that I'm an Al Pacino expert, but in my limited experience

the role where he wasn't his usual Pacino was in the Insomnia remake with Robin Williams (who out-acted the shit out of Pacino) and Hillary Swank

[havocmom]

11. Liked him best as the news producer in The Insider

Though Insomnia was good opposite Robin Williams

[RagingInMiami]

13. "Say hello to my little friend!"

[mitchum]

14. Another vote for Sonny in "Dog Day Afternoon"

brilliant performance in a brilliant film

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

15. He was awesome as Ricky Roma

"You fairy. You are not a leader of men. You fucking child........"