Serpico (1973)

It’s important to know about the life of Frank Serpico in this time where once again police corruption is on people’s minds. Al Pacino is Serpico, a man who always wanted to be a cop but was greatly disappointed to find that the entire NYPD system is overwhelmingly corrupt. Yet he somehow manages to not compromise the values he was led to believe encompassed ‘to protect and serve’. The story is quick and told concisely, with time measured in the growth of Serpico’s adorable sheepdog. Dressed in a killer wardrobe, Pacino is resplendent in portraying Frank’s idealism and also his anxiety having always to be on guard around those he should best be able to count on.

Oscar Nominations: Best Actor in a Leading Role; Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium