A little warmth and a whole lotta cold

Rating: 6/10 (10 May 2014)

Heat is not above criticism. I've put off reviewing this film for a long time as I know any negative comments will provoke an angry response from people who are blind to any faults. It's a good film, but it is far from perfect.
Pacino and DeNiro are cop and crook who go head-to-head over a major heist. They have many similarities, and could otherwise have been friends, only they are on opposite sides of the same coin - both cerebral, cunning, and crafty. Attempts at juxtaposing their lives come across as a little indulgent, but it's a crime epic, with lots of characters and cameos, so the running time has to be filled-up with something.
I just wish the dialogue wasn't so clipped and the editing so inconsistent. The movie has a naturalistic feel, meaning a lot words sound mumbled, and characters seems to come and go with no orientation given to the viewer. I am not saying that Michael Mann should pander to all audiences and dumb down the material, but a middle ground could have been found.
Mann shoots LA with wide-open empty spaces and stays high above the city for the most part, giving it a cold, alienating feel. Dante Spinotti's photography is raw and filter-free, and all locations are real with not a single soundstage used (although there are a couple of obvious green screen shots). It gives you a view of LA not typically seen in movies.
For a 170-minute it doesn't pay-off much considering the talent. There is a great 125-minute movie desperate to get out of Heat. The movie as it is has a lot of fat and you'll have to endure it if you want to see what all the fuss is about.