he may not be tearing up the box office, but al pacino is in the middle of a career resurgence. the man who has been known among the greatest actors of his generation has certainly had a bad patch over the last several years, but 2015 has seen him more invigorated and passionate than ever. first came the surprisingly good the humbling, about a washed-up actor. then we got this one, which covers similar thematic ground but more effectively. danny collins is schmaltzy at times, but that schmaltz is bolstered by sincere direction from dan fogelman (who also wrote the script) and top-notch acting from top to bottom. the supporting cast is great; jennifer garner's indie film choices have been the best thing to happen to her career and bobby cannavale is truly fantastic as tom donnelly, the estranged son of the titular rock star. annette bening, christopher plummer are a joy to watch with pacino while melissa benoist and josh peck shine in small roles. this is pacino's film though, and he shows that he truly hasn't lost a step. danny collins is a thoroughly pacino-esque character; charismatic and larger than life, but deeply flawed and fully aware of those flaws. i was surprised by how much i enjoyed this; it's extremely sentimental but usually in the right places. here's hoping for more of this kind of work from one of my favorite actors.