Pacino's gone from Godfather to flopfather: Manglehorn is a boring independent drama, says TOBY YOUNG 

By Toby Young For The Daily Mail

Published: 19:18 EST, 6 August 2015 | Updated: 19:29 EST, 6 August 2015

Manglehorn (12A)

Verdict: Boring independent drama 

Manglehorn is supposed to be a comeback vehicle for Al Pacino (right) after a string of flops, but it’s another stinker.

Pacino plays a Texas locksmith who spends his days staring out of the window, reminiscing about his first love, and tending to an ailing cat called Miss Fanny.

Somewhere along the way, there’s an awkward lunch with his estranged son (Chris Messina) and an even more awkward date with a lonely bank teller (Holly Hunter), but that’s about it. 

Pacino plays a Texas locksmith who spends his days staring out of the window, reminiscing about his first love, and tending to an ailing cat called Miss Fanny

Pacino plays a Texas locksmith who spends his days staring out of the window, reminiscing about his first love, and tending to an ailing cat called Miss Fanny

You can tell Pacino is committed to the role because he hasn’t washed his hair. 

Greasy tendrils curl down his neck like rats tails, announcing to the world that Manglehorn is a serious drama, not some Hollywood schlock.

At one point, his son tells him his house ‘smells like garbage’ and you can believe it — the whole film has a grimy, lived-in feel to it, as if to guarantee its authenticity.

There’s no plot, just one mildly depressing scene after another. 

This is independent cinema at its most lifeless and inert. Even hard-core Pacino fans should steer clear.

You can tell Pacino is committed to the role because he hasn’t washed his hair for his appearance in the film 

You can tell Pacino is committed to the role because he hasn’t washed his hair for his appearance in the film 

 


 

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