Jun. 09, 2003 - 4:30 pm
i think i wanted to see this one because it's spoofed in Rushmore (1998) and i wanted to get the reference. it's weird though, the Max Fischer Players are supposed to be doing a scene from this film, but i didn't ever see that exact scene taking place in the movie. the little blonde boy, Dirk, plays a nun and i don't think there were ever any nuns in Serpico. so i don't know what was going on.
Serpico is the last name of a real life NYPD cop and this is his true story. it shows his entry into the police force, his slow rise through the ranks of the force, and how he eventually became obsessed with ridding the force of all of its corruption and corrupt officers. everyone seems to be taking money from illicit deals, but Serpico never takes money that he doesn't earn and he refuses to deal with criminals. everyone else starts to fear and hate him because he is a danger to their brotherhood. and Serpico eventually finds himself in danger because his "brothers" on the force no longer want him around.
this movie was somewhat entertaining, but i was by no means thrilled by it. it's very official, political, and bland for the most part. no interesting color to it. very little emotion. yeah, i guess it's good writing and acting, but it's just not a glorious tale. it has its ups and downs, but mostly it just made me depressed. that's about all i have to say. i have some more interesting films to come. and i'll try to stay away from Sidney Lumet films for quite a while.