Al Pacino names his favourite movie of his career: “Nobody liked it and it got terrible reviews”
When most cinephiles think about their favourite Al Pacino movie, it’s highly likely that a few usual suspects spring to mind. Maybe they love his breakthrough crime masterpieces from the 1970s, like The Godfather, Serpico, and Dog Day Afternoon, or perhaps they’d pick his later crime masterpieces, such as Scarface, Carlito’s Way, and Heat. The man has made a lot of crime masterworks, after all. On the other hand, it wouldn’t be the least bit surprising to hear some fans name Scent of a Woman, The Insider, or Any Given Sunday as more personal favourites.
What about Al Pacino’s favourite movie, though? Interestingly, it’s not one of these classics—and it received some terrible reviews upon release.
In 2019, Film Talk interviewed Pacino at a screening of his 1996 drama City Hall at the famed Aero Theatre in Santa Monica. After asking the legendary star to name the best directors he’d worked with—Francis Ford Coppola, Sidney Lumet, and Martin Scorsese, of course—the conversation turned to the roles that hold a special place in his heart. Pacino mused, “It’s always very different; there are always so many components into what makes a role.”
Pacino admitted that it was difficult to pick a favourite character, as the decision has so many variables. In the end, though, he spotlighted his turn as Tony Montana in Brian De Palma’s blood-soaked drug bonanza Scarface, adding that it “is a very interesting film and has so many things in it that have lasted so long”. Interestingly, though, he indicated that he may have particularly good memories of that project because his personal life was in a good place at the time.
The screen icon then revealed something fascinating – he doesn’t often pick movies based on the strength of the role. Instead, he simply craves the chance to express himself through the craft of acting, and working on a film is a way to facilitate that. He first realised this about himself as a 21-year-old actor working on Broadway. A thought struck him like a lightning bolt, and he knew, “Yes, this is something I want to do now because I can speak through this medium.”
He added, ” So, for me, it’s not about getting the part; it’s about having that opportunity to express.”
After this unique insight into Pacino’s motivations, the interviewer asked him about Bobby Deerfield, the 1977 romantic drama directed by Sydney Pollack about a Formula One star who falls in love with a terminally ill Swiss woman. This seemed to jar something loose in the star’s head, and he excitedly exclaimed, “You know something? Bobby Deerfield was my favourite film, even though nobody liked it, and it got terrible reviews.”
This revelation must have surprised the interviewer because Pacino was right—Bobby Deerfield really was savaged by the press upon its release. In fact, there was talk of audiences finding its most dramatic scenes to be unintentionally funny. One of these scenes featured Pacino taking a big swing by imitating the infamous vaudeville sex symbol Mae West, and he admitted he took a pasting from critics for it. However, the impulse still made sense to him, as he explained, “I played a character having a hard time living, much less remembering anything, but the real emotion was if he could remember what it was like if he played Mae West.”
He concluded, “That was a very exceptional scene.” Indeed, that bizarre impression is likely the real reason this flop is still Pacino’s favourite movie.
