Gre da Vid History repeats itself once again with the systemic failure, from the top down, of the incompetence of so many people who chose to ignore a problem and pretended that nothing would ever happen due to their inability to accept responsibility and accountability. A very good performance by Al Pacino as Joe Paterno. You won't regret taking one hour and 45 minutes to view this film.

eddie_baggins If it does nothing else than remind you that acting legend Al Pacino still has what it takes to deliver a commanding lead performance, then HBO's and Barry Levinson's Paterno is worth the watch.After what seems like years' worth of average to bad performances in feature films (bar the loveable Danny Collins), Pacino has quietly been going about his business with some impressive projects in the world of the small screen in roles for such films and series like Phil Spector and You Don't Know Jack and Paterno is another impressive feat for the living tressure, even if the film around him can't quite match his on-song turn.Much like Pacino, director Barry Levinson has struggled over the last decade or so to recapture the directing form that helped him deliver classics like Rain Man and Good Morning Vietnam in the 80's, with forgettable 2000 films such as Envy and The Humbling doing nothing but tarnishing his reputation as a filmmaker of note, so it's nice to see Paterno offer the talented artist a chance to showcase his abilities once more, even if this experience is a lot more dreary and dramatically focussed than we'd usually see from him.Focussing its attentions on a very specific and publicly profiled period in the life of the aging and famed Penn State football coach Joe Paterno and his entanglement in the horrific sexual abuse allegations that swirled around his onetime colleague Jerry Sandusky, Paterno offers a brief glimpse into the life of the winningest coach in college football history and how these terrible abuses tarnished his final days as a member of the Penn State fraternity.Paterno gives Pacino one of his most quietly devastating performances to date, there's no showy moments here and under some impressive makeup, Pacino utterly convinces as the recognisable and well-loved American figure even if the film around him does feel like it can't quite escape its TV movie origins.With Levinson focussing so much of his time on Paterno, other characters within the film feel rather underdeveloped and lacking in screen time but with Paterno taking centre stage, we are gifted into an insight into a haunted man who is slowly but surely coming to the realisation that despite all the good he has done, a misguided and terribly misjudged component of his life will be what he takes to his grave.Final Say - It feels and acts like the TV movie that it is but thanks to Pacino's commanding turn and the insight it offers us into a particular time in the life of one of the most fascinating football figures ever to have lived, Paterno is a cut-above other similar TV biopics and a reminder to us all that Pacino still has what it takes to anchor a feature film.3 ½ campus riots out of 5

bbrebozo I was really looking forward to "Paterno," and boy was it a let down.Don't get me wrong: Al Pacino was amazing. He gave his performance a world-weary, old man perspective. And he definitely had the look and feel of the real Joe Paterno.But it seemed like the production really had to cut corners in order to pay Pacino's salary. The rest of the cast, with the exception of the actress who played Paterno's wife, was unimpressive. Not that they were necessarily bad actors. But it felt very soap opera-ish, "okay kids, learn these lines quickly 'cause we're on in five minutes." I had the feeling that the actors who played Paterno's family members and colleagues hadn't had much of a chance to meet or rehearse with Pacino before the cameras started rolling.The whole production had a high-school-film-project feel about it. Particularly the frequent flashbacks, which were all blurry, echo-y, quick, and pointless. The mobs of protestors looked and acted like a bunch of movie extras who were waving signs and chanting on cue, not a genuinely passionate and outraged mob. The script wasn't particularly memorable or dramatic.One of the worst parts was the terribly annoying background music. It was mostly a single synthesizer, played like a fifteen-year-old had just gotten it for Christmas and was eagerly showing off the "spooky" new chords he had learned. And it was incessant, snaking it's way through most of the show. It played over, and ruined, some of Pacino's most dramatic scenes. If you're a die hard Pacino fan, you should probably see this. For everyone else: "Paterno" isn't up to HBO's high quality standards.

merelyaninnuendo PaternoThere isn't much to look up to in this plot, no matter how much impact it creates on screen the characters are left off far away disconnected from the audience which is never acceptable especially on such character driven feature. Barry Levinson; the director, tries too hard on executing the anticipated vision but fails to deliver it. And if anything that helps one survive this feature, it is Al Pacino and his brilliant portrayal that is supported with a good cast. Paterno is plausible on some aspects but is piled up by this raw script whose attempt to go in detail on facts leads to an informative art rather than being entertaining one.