Though there are moments to admire, this is a rather wearying account of an attempted bank heist by two inept young robbers and their subsequent attempts to get away, despite the cordon of police surrounding them. The acting is excellent, at least on the surface; Frank Pierson's screenplay won an Oscar; and the film is beautifully made by director Sidney Lumet, with some stunning overhead shots. It's meant, I think, as a funny-sad black comedy, although most of its humour comes from the characters swearing repeatedly, which does wear thin after a while. The two robbers, although given full value by Al Pacino and John Cazale, also prove tiresome, unsympathetic people, and only in the last 20 minutes is any tension or excitement engendered by their plight. Most of it is too grating or abrasive to entertain and non-Pacino fans may be restless throughout.

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