Disappointment

I just saw this movie the other day because someone I know recommended it to me. I have to say that I think most of you are missing the point of the film. The plot isn't meant to go anywhere in this. It's very much driven by the characters. Of course at the end it hangs and Bobby and Helen's addictions probably did go on and on because in the life of someone who is on heroin and refuses to get help that's all there is.

I'm a huge fan of Al Pacino (I also love Kitty Winn and Raul Julia) and I have to say I think this is the best movie he's ever done. The acting is incredible and I can probably count on one hand the number of movies I've seen (Candy is also one of them) that don't glamourize drug addiction and shows it for what it really is. Something ugly and if you don't get help, something that never ends. This is one of those movies. If you're looking for something that is virtually untouched by anything Hollywood, see this. I only wish there were more like it.

May: I can't breathe.
Darren: And what would happen if you did breathe? (The Mother)

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I thought the 'injection' scenes were pretty daring and elongated considering that it came out over 20 years before the likes of Pulp Fiction...






I'm sorry, I don't speak monkey...

i loved the ending of this movie. no wrap ups. no exciting getting back together scenes or them moving to the country. their addicts. this is a stark depiction of the addicts life and the spiraling nature of how heroin can grip you and take away all of those things that are held dear. a lot of scenes are realy well done. some of the diner scenes i thought were great. pacino's courting of kitty reminded me of his courting in other movies as well. you can tell a lot of the canvas for what he would be become is included here and the diabolic nature of this character is what drew coppola to cast him for the godfather. bobby loves the innocence of kitty but when its taken away he can't feel remorse b/c he still needs cash to support his habit and having her with him is perhaps better. panic isn't a masterpiece, but a nice drug-related film that brings out the human element in creative ways.

It's a great film. Then again I am a sucker for late 60's and early 70's moviemaking -- the last "golden age" in my opinion. It was a great slice of life film and I think Al Pacino was great and Kitty Wynn was fantastic in her role. I have this on VHS tape and watch it every year.

I don't know if I'm seeing everything in Sopranos masquerade, but I do think this came first and was brilliant - you don't have to see where they're heading to, it's implicit.

You also have to remember that for it's time it was showing things that hadn't really been show, for example, the scene with them shooting up, I still don't like to look at the screen while that is happening, and this is the 2000's, imagine back then, those things were hardly ever shown in the theatres. Another thing, this is one of the few movies where it felt so real to me, I 've known and lived with people like this, it was a pretty acurate protrayal of that kind of life. A lot of it is looking to score, getting high, trying to find ways to make money, and this goes on for years and years, until you die or go to jail or quit. And the scenes in the park , where they are sitting on the bench, where all too familiar, they did a great job. THe characters, the conversations they have-all that was waaaay to real. I think it still holds up. And Al Pacino and Kitty where great and natural in their acting.

"The biggest disappointment was the lack of ending, all it was just "Well come one then Kitty.""

It's not an easy film. The ending was understated... but it was powerful... a certain level of sensitivity is required from the viewer to really "get" this film.

I loved this film. I think it is one of Pacino's best performances. I actually prefer it to Serpico, Dog Day Afternoon, and Carlito's Way, which are all a bit overrated in my opinion.

well,see guys,movies can be categorized into 3 main classes(at least,thats how i can put it after watching films for 20 years) - 1. those which have a particular plot and have characters revolving round the plot,e.g.,mystery,thrillers,action,etc, 2. those which have a number of players and the audience spend their time watching them unfold thier colors when they react to different events differently.The films are written about 'their' thoughts and activities, and the actual plot takes a backstage,e.g.,dramas,which are basically films concealing a lot about their characters mainly,and, 3. as Jim Jarmush puts it,"life doesnt have a plot, so why should a film have one?", these are dramas 'about' life,movies which only pick up some 50 or 100 days of an ordinary man's life and puts it to screen.This particular film is one of the few members of the 3rd class,which shows the life of an ordinary couple with a rather abnormal and objectionable habbit of taking some drug.To understand the movie,think of a couple having a steady relation,whom you know, now take out some 50 days from their life, think deeply,what do you see?? some days they fight,some they spend happily,sometimes they kiss eachother,slap eachother,sometimes they discuss about issues,they plan......and what happens after the 50 days??? they die?? no,death is never considered normal from the human point of view,they move on...thats how the movie ends.The beginning of the movie is such that the characters are not introduced to the viewer,'we' are introduced to certain 'lives',as the movie goes on, we witness a part of certain 'lives',experience only that much emotional and physical stress that a human experiences in his ordinary life....ordinay because these are ordinary beings who only pocess a habbit,think of more apparent 'sane' habbits like smoking,masturbating,...are these poeple abnormal? like them,our protagonists too have personal lives,backgrounds.About perfomances,the film required actors portraying 'lives',and Al Pacino is a master with that,this was my first vision of Kitty Winn,and she created a good impression....these few reasons have made this movie really special for me....as for providing knowledge about drugs,heroin,that depends upon the info that a viewer receives after watching any movie about these things,there too the film scored highly,considering the documentary backdrop that the film presented....it is a classic if viewed carefully and patiently...