Heat

★★★★★

No spoilers

This is one of those unanimously regarded greatest-of-all-time films that a film lover couldn’t possibly dislike. If you didn’t like Heat, we can’t be friends anymore. I’m kidding, I’d still love you, but I’d be highly suspicious about your taste in movies. It’s not snobbery, but it’s like if you took your friend to an award winning restaurant you liked that has really good food, and he said that it was worse than McDonald’s. Everyone’s entitled to his or her opinion, but it doesn’t mean we have to forgo our standards.

Heat has a great story: It’s about a highly-professional group of criminals led by Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro) who rob armoured trucks and banks with precision and zero casualties, until something went wrong in their recent heist, and attracted the attention of Lieutenant Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino), a sharp hothead who runs the LAPD armed robbery division. But it’s really a human tragedy about karma and making bad choices. It’s fascinating to see these relatable criminal characters presented with opportunities for a way out, yet be undone by mere moments of poor judgment. But the film doesn’t gloss over the fact that these people will kill cops and innocent bystanders if they get in their way. I was surprised to learn that Heat was a remake of director Michael Mann’s earlier TV movie “L.A. Takedown” and was based on a real-life case of police officer-turned-TV-producer Chuck Adamson, who did pursue a criminal named Neil McCauley. Adamson also created the highly-acclaimed television series, Crime Story that starred Dennis Farina and was produced by Mann.

Heat has an awesome cast that includes Val Kilmer, Tom Sizemore, Jon Voight, Ashley Judd, Danny Trejo, Wes Studi, Ted Levine, Dennis Haysbert, William Fichtner, Natalie Portman, Hank Azaria, Tom Noonan, Xander Berkeley, Jeremy Piven, Henry Rollins and Tone Loc (gasping for air!) Kilmer, Voight and Judd were the standouts, but I thought Trejo really impressed with his very small role here. This may even be his best performance. But we’re really here for the legendary team-up of acting legends Al Pacino and Robert De Niro. I remember the stupid younger version of me feeling disappointed that they were only briefly onscreen together when I first saw the movie in 1995, but now I can’t think of a better way to utilize these actors in the film. They were together a lot more in Scorsese’s The Irishman, but Heat still remains as their best screen pairing. It is such a treat to watch these two perform with each other, arguably in their prime.

Superbly and stylishly directed by Michael Mann (who also wrote the script) and shot by cinematographer Dante Spinotti who also handled the cinematography on the Last of the Mohicans and L.A. Confidential. Together they created a Los Angeles of grey skies and metallic blue cityscapes. Even the actors seem to be constantly dressed in monotones. It’s stylish to look at and yet doesn’t feel artificial, or interfere with the realism and grittiness of the story. Great music by Oscar-winning composer Elliot Goldenthal, and the sound design is legendary for that well-known shootout scene. It’s mind-boggling to think that Heat did not even get a single Oscar nomination in any category.

Overall, Heat is a thrilling cinematic experience from start to finish, with an alignment of talents that made it more than just another cops-and-robbers flick, but a must-watch film even if you’re not a movie aficionado who’d appreciate the rare pairing of two acting giants. It is also a film that gets better throughout time, as age and maturity makes you appreciate the nuances in the story and performances a lot more.

Once you’ve watched the film, check out the trivia section on IMDb or watch it again with Mann’s commentary. There are many, many cool trivia to discover, like did you know Ted Levine was supposed to play Waingro, or that Val Kilmer took over his role from Keanu Reeves?