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All Movie Info
Starring:
Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Val Kilmer, Jon Voight, Diane Venora, Ashley Judd, Wes Studi, Tom Sizemore, Mykelti Williamson, Amy Brenneman, Ted Levine, Dennis Haysbert, William Fichtner, Natalie Portman, Hank Azaria, Henry Rollins, Kevin Gage, Tom Noonan, Xander Berkeley, Thomas Rosales Jr., Tone Loc, Danny Trejo
Directed By:
Michael Mann
Written By:
Michael Mann
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Heat (1995)
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Movie Review by Jarrod
June 23rd, 2008
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'Heat' is an epic, captivating crime saga from Michael Mann that features the first on-screen pairing of Al Pacino and Robert De Niro; yes, they appeared together in The Godfather, Part II, but never had a chance to be in the same scene at once. They are both in top form, and the anticipation leading up to their face-to-face encounter is overwhelming, and Mann does not let us down when that moment finally arrives. Pacino is Vincent Hanna, a veteran detective with the LAPD. He is on his third marriage, to Justine (Diane Venora), who thinks he is too involved with his work. He readily admits this, and worries that his career could threaten, if not destroy, this relationship as it has all of his previous ones. He gets along well with his stepdaughter Lauren (Natalie Portman), deeply troubled by the fact that she has been abandoned and neglected by her father. Vincent's nemesis is Neil McCauley (De Niro), a brilliant criminal who plans a lucrative bank heist with his loyal crew, which includes Chris Shiherlis (Val Kilmer), Michael Cheritto (Tom Sizemore), and Trejo (Danny Trejo). Chris's wife Charlene (Ashley Judd) knows what he does for a living, and worries only that he will end up dead.
Neil is a cautious man, but can also be extremely vindictive. He has a code of honor that compels him not to endanger the lives of civilians, or to kill people needlessly, which is why he responds so strongly when a new crew member, named Waingro (Kevin Gage), shoots an armored truck driver and then the two policemen accompanying him. Neil intends to kill Waingro, but he escapes, and then Neil has a problem with corrupt businessman Van Zant (William Fichtner), whom he steals from. One of Neil's friends and contacts is Nate (Jon Voight), a jack of all trades who supplies Neil with information and just about anything he could possibly need to pull off a job. The movie initially tracks Vincent and Neil separately before allowing their paths to cross; Vincent and Neil respect one another. Vincent has put McCauley and his team under 24-hour surveillance, but Neil turns the tables on Vincent by leading him to a warehouse, where Neil is discussing the details of some upcoming scheme, but it serves only as a means to draw Hanna and the other cops into the open, where Neil takes pictures of them and uses Nate to find out as much as he can about them. Vincent tirelessly pursues Neil; Neil continually evades him, but eventually leaves himself vulnerable in choosing to get revenge and settle an old score. The central showpiece is a meticulous and expertly constructed bank robbery, supplemented by shoot-outs and chase sequences. So, 'Heat' is a stylish and exciting action movie, but it is more than that, it is elevated into the realm of high-class drama, due to Mann's insightful and intelligent dialogue. De Niro and Pacino have played these types of roles so often, and instinctively understand them so well, that they never skip a beat and are channeling previous characters; for De Niro, it is the suave gangsters from Goodfellas and Casino, Al Capone from The Untouchables, and maybe even Johnny Boy from Mean Streets. For Pacino, it is the rugged, determined, experienced cops from Serpico through Sea of Love, but keep in mind also Pacino's many criminal personas, Michael Corleone at their most sophisticated, and Tony Montana at their crudest and most extreme. Their acting is effortless, even if their best performances are to be found in other movies.
I like the way Mann has chosen to write the major female characters, of which Justine is the most significant. Amy Brenneman is effective as Eady, the graphic artist Neil falls in love with, though romance seems to go against his personal philosophy. What draws her to the mysterious and distant Neil is mutual loneliness and a desperate need for affection and companionship. Judd probably has the least to do of the primary actresses, but she has one gripping scene where she is forced to decide whether she will rat Chris out to the police, or face accessory charges, and with her and Chris in prison, their son Dominick would be put in foster care. Sizemore is interesting as Michael Cheritto, who is also married, rather happily by every available indication. Michael does not need to participate in the climatic bank heist, but does so simply for the thrill of it, and because he feels he has an obligation to help Neil in any way that he can. The key exchange in the movie occurs between Pacino and De Niro sitting across from each other in a crowded diner. They are examining each other, and warning each other that their next encounter will not be so pleasant. They refuse to back down, neither is intimidated, and each is firmly committed to the path he has chosen. The way Mann films this segment is extraordinary; the camera focuses on them individually as they speak, heightening the impact of the dialogue as it is delivered with intensity and articulation. This is the dramatic climax of the movie, and proves to be remarkably memorable, more so than many of the action sequences.
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 | Tim
Jun 23, 2008 11:37 PM
also wrote a review of Heat 
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Heat is close to perfect. The only thing that I have always said about Heat is that Natalie Portman's character really was obsolete. Between Pacino's wife there was really no point in having his step daughter with issues as well it almost became overwhelming and made the film start to drag when she is taken to the hospital for attempting suicide.
Still one of my top 3 favorite films of all time.....I can watch the conversation between Pacino and DeNiro Over and Over again and also the end bank shootout scene.
Pacino also delivers some really funny one liners and a lot of them he made up, they were not in the original script. |
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