Very sad news out of Hollywood over the weekend as longtime filmmaker Sidney Lumet has passed away at the age of 86. As someone who was born and raised in New York City, Lumet was one of those filmmakers I adored. The city always played the most important character in so many of his movies, and you’d be hard-pressed to find too many other filmmakers whose work from beginning to end was so infused with the city that inspired him.
From his early days directing iconic films like 12 Angry Men in 1957 to memorable fare like Serpico, Network, Dog Day Afternoon, Murder on the Orient Express and The Wiz, Lumet was always consistent in delivering memorable lead characters, and that sort of hard-fought consistency was present in his work right up till the end, with 2007’s Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead capping off a tremendous career behind the camera. The man was one of the best, and there’s no doubt he’ll be missed. For more, here’s Roger Ebert’s fitting tribute.
Let us know your favorite Sidney Lumet film in the comments section.
