Throughout his 50 years in Hollywood, Al Pacino has been blessed with some of the most iconic movie roles of all time. From the coke snorting psychopath that is Tony Montana to the Godfather himself, Don Michael Corleone, it’s roles like these that will see Pacino go down as one of the all time greats when he eventually decides to call time on his illustrious career.
Despite the actor celebrating his 80th birthday last year, that doesn’t seem to be something he’ll be doing anytime soon. He may have slowed down a little in recent years, but he’s still averaging more than one movie a year. He’s not just phoning it in, either, as evidenced by his recent Oscar nomination for his performance in The Irishman; one of the many great movies that he’s starred in over the years.
10 Donnie Brasco (1997) – 76
Based on the true story of an undercover agent who infiltrated the Mafia, Donnie Brasco sees Pacino line up alongside a young Johnny Depp and a host of other big name actors. It’s a thrilling movie that provides an interesting insight into the world of organized crime — and a hugely successful one at that. It made more than $120 million at the box office and even picked up an Oscar nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay in the process.
The paternal-like relationship that develops between Lefty and Donnie serves as the perfect vehicle with which to explore the criminal underworld and is one of the movie’s strongest elements. Both Pacino and Depp clearly did their due diligence when preparing for their roles and it really shows throughout the movie. Pacino in particular does a fantastic job; somehow managing to humanize the aging hitman despite his many flaws.
9 Insomnia (2002) – 78
Christopher Nolan has made some wonderful movies over the years, but Insomnia might just be one of his very best. It may not have the blistering action found throughout his Batman trilogy nor the stunning visuals of Inception, but what it lacks in these areas, it more than makes up for with its stunning cinematography and thrilling narrative.
The decision to cast Robin Williams as a villain may seem like a blunder to some, but the actor’s intense performance is more than enough to distract from any prior expectations one might have had. Conversely, Pacino’s delivery is exactly what one might expect from such a distinguished actor and his character’s struggles — both with his sleep and with his conscience — make for an incredibly compelling protagonist.
8 Glengarry Glen Ross (1992) – 82
Although Glengarry Glen Ross may begin as a desperate struggle to avoid being fired, things quickly devolve into a war of egos from there and the movie is all the better for it. As well as being perfectly cast, each character brings something a little different to the table and combine perfectly to create a movie that is as funny as it is engrossing.
Pacino’s portrayal of Richard Roma may be a bit more reserved than some of his typical performances, but arguably has a little more substance and depth to it as a result. It earned him his third Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor, although he once again missed out on the prize.
7 Once Upon A Time… In Hollywood (2019) – 83
Given that the movie centers around the changing of the guard and an actor’s struggles to remain relevant as time marches on without him, it’s perhaps quite fitting that Pacino makes an appearance in Once Upon A Time… In Hollywood. That’s not to say that the veteran actor’s race is run or anything, but, like Rick, he may have to take more of a back seat moving forward as the next generation of talented actors ascends.
On that subject, both Pitt and DiCaprio are fantastic throughout the movie and each picked up Oscar nominations for their efforts. The former won his first individual Academy Award as Best Supporting Actor while the latter fell at the final hurdle for the fourth time in his career. As a result, DiCaprio now has one win from five Best Actor nominations, which is the exact same record as Pacino himself.
6 The Insider (1999) – 84
Having already worked together on Heat just a few years prior, Pacino once again found himself following the direction of Michael Mann in the 1999 drama movie, The Insider. It’s a wonderful re-imagining of Jeffrey Wigand’s struggles as he attempts to blow the whistle on his former employer Brown & Williamson.
Pacino plays investigative journalist Lowell Bergman and while he does a sterling job, it was his co-star Russell Crowe who came away with most of the plaudits. The latter’s portrayal of Dr. Wigand is truly fantastic and quite rightfully saw him nominated for Best Actor at the 72nd Academy Awards. He didn’t end up winning, although he did pick the award up the following year for his role in Gladiator.
5 Dog Day Afternoon (1975) – 86
Dog Day Afternoon is an incredibly gritty movie that’s loosely based on a failed bank robbery that resulted in one of the tensest hostage situations in American history. It released just three years on from the robbery itself, with Pacino starring as one of the three would-be thieves.
The men who walked into Chase Manhattan on that fateful day were not at all prepared for what followed and this is something that is perfectly captured in Pacino’s performance. He acts more with his face and eyes than any other part of his body and it works incredibly well when it comes to capturing the pain and fear that are rattling around in Wortzik’s head. Once more he was nominated for Best Actor at the Oscars, but came home empty-handed for the third consecutive year.
4 Serpico (1973) – 87
Frank Serpico is an incredibly complicated character who is brilliantly brought to life by Pacino in one of his more animated performances to date. His struggle to come to terms with and accept the rampant corruption that surrounds him makes for an strong narrative indeed, as do the difficult decisions that he’s forced to make as the story progresses.
Serpico drew criticism from some quarters due to perceived inaccuracies with its portrayal of the NYPD, but the majority of critics were in awe of the movie. Amongst other things, they highlighted its gritty depiction of corruption and crime in the City and Pacino’s fantastic performance as two of its biggest strengths. It also performed well at the box office and was nominated for several major awards.
3 The Godfather: Part II (1974) – 90
Two years on from his debut as Michael Corleone, Pacino was given the opportunity to reprise the role for the second part of Francis Ford Coppola’s epic trilogy. The Godfather: Part II sees Michael continue his transformation into a cold and callous criminal while simultaneously delving deeper into his father’s past. It features yet another vintage Pacino performance, although at the time of its release, it was perhaps more ‘fresh’ than ‘vintage’.
Having been nominated in the Best Supporting Actor category for his performance in the original movie, Pacino this time found himself up for acting’s top prize. He didn’t win it, unfortunately, although the movie won Best Picture, Coppola got Best Director and his co-star Robert De Niro picked up the award for Best Supporting Actor.
2 The Irishman (2019) – 94
Following their appearance together in The Godfather: Part II, Pacino and De Niro would go on to star alongside each other on multiple occasions. They most recently did so in Martin Scorsese’s fantastic Netflix movie, The Irishman. Surprisingly though, this was actually Pacino’s first time working with the legendary director.
Thanks in large to the millions of dollars spent de-aging the movie’s leads, it feels very much like a blast from the past with Pacino, De Niro, and Joe Pesci all delivering performances reminiscent of their heydays. It’s a little on the long side, although the story it tells is deeply engaging and the fantastic chemistry between the actors makes it all the more enjoyable.
1 The Godfather (1972) – 100
When it comes to mafia movies, most consider The Godfather to be the gold standard. It’s one of only eight movies to hold a perfect score on Metacritic and sits alongside classics like Citizen Kane and Casablanca. Although it doesn’t quite stick the landing, Coppola’s trilogy is every bit as much a masterpiece as these cinematic giants; and it all started here.
Although Vito Corleone may serve as the focal point for much of the movie, Pacino’s character Michael is infinitely more interesting. He begins the movie as a celebrated war hero who wants nothing to do with the family business, but by its climax, has devolved into a cold-hearted sociopath. This harrowing transformation is a fantastic one to behold and perfectly sets up the subsequent movies while still offering a coherent and compelling standalone story in its own right.
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