See this film: Serpico at the HFA

Sidney Lumet, who died last year, mastered the art of balancing social issues with pulse-pounding entertainment. Such is the case with Serpico (1973), the true story of a New York City cop - played by Al Pacino in an Oscar-nominated role - who blows the whistle on department corruption. Not the best way to guarantee a comfortable retirement. Atmospheric, wrenching, and thrilling, it screens at the Harvard Film Archive in the Carpenter Center, 24 Quincy St, Cambridge | Saturday, July 14 @ 9:15 pm | $9; $7 students, seniors | 617.495.4700 or hcl.harvard.edu/hfa/films.html.