Far more than a simple cops-and-robbers flick

Rating: 9/10 (6 November 2015)

Ahhh, heat. One of my favourite crime films. Being a hardcore Pacino and De Niro fan I was shocked upon realising a couple of years back that the two had starred in another film together other than The Godfather Part II. How I missed it I don't know. I found out about it watching Pacino on Inside the Actor's Studio. Having the two in the same movie was a dream come true. Coincidentally Heat was on TV a few days later. After watching it I believe films of its kind have never been bettered, for me at least.
The film follows two main characters – Vincent Hanna and Neil McCauley. Hanna's third marriage is on the decline due to his obsession with his job as a cop. His attention-deprived step daughter is falling apart and, as his wife states, he spends more of his life among the "remnants of dead people" rather than with the living. Hanna's story is that of a man trying to succeed in his professional career, something he values over his home life. The head-in-hand moments throughout the film gives the viewers understanding of Hanna's frustration at his own failure to keep his life together and to cling on to his personal life. He knows deep down, as does his wife, that he enjoys his job more than he enjoys the company of his family – it's what makes him "tick", what keeps him on the balls of his feet. Need I say that the role is perfectly played by Al Pacino? From the cold, and hard 'Ima talking' you down' stares to the hilarious improvised rants ("SHE GOT A GREAT ASS!"), no character is more entertaining to watch in this film, except maybe...
Neil McCauley. Here we have a man hardened by his time in jail. A man only interested in the next score, whether it be large or small. No mistakes, no taking chances. Full-on goatee-flexing coolness. McCauley shares a strong relationship with the other members of his crew, and is the only person without a wife or girlfriend. Though tough as nails, his humane side comes through many time, like how he never kills unless he can't help it. The reason for his distant nature is revealed as someone told him to "never let yourself get attached to anything you are not willing to walk out on in thirty seconds flat if you feel the heat coming round the corner". This motto could be seen as the explanation for his success, making it ironic that when he does find someone he cares about, McCauley meets his demise after having broken his own thirty second rule. De Niro does an excellent job, he really does. It's definitely one of his most underrated performances. Actors just can't act cool nowerdays like these guys could. The two actors lead an all-star cast, consisting of the likes of Val Kilmer, Jon Voight, and Tom Sizemore. The supporting cast, especially Kilmer, do fine jobs at handling their characters. This is what essentially makes Heat such a successful movie – the characters. None of the characters are cardboard, only there to increase body counts. All the characters have their own personalities, their own stories, and the movie feels like you've been dropped into a time period of these people's lives, making Heat definitely one of the greatest character films of all time. Take Donald Breedan (Dennis Haysbert), a recently paroled ex-convict determined to start fresh in his life. Sure, by the end of the film no- one remembers probably him but in the character's small amount of screen time he manages to represents the tragic tale of how many people don't want to give ex-convicts a second chance to start fresh, often causing these people to get coaxed or forced back into a life of crime. As is the case with Breedan, whose agreement of taking another job with Neil over a dead end job at the grill with an arse as a boss provides too tempting, but results in his death. What Heat is about is men. Strong men, and the women who play supporting roles in the relationships, much like how society works now. The first half of the film is like watching two different movies, one following the life of Hanna and the other of McCauley. That is until the two tales start to string together via a certain famous coffee shop scene - the first time my two movie heroes were on the screen together. Well, technically that's not true. Sure, there's a very cool highway scene that precedes the coffee shop one.
Some people complain that De Niro and Pacino don't share enough screen time together, but I don't agree with this. I think Mann perfectly balanced the amount of time they got together, and didn't overdo it. The clash of the two titans would be one of the most anticipated scenes in cinema history, and yet did anyone think that it would take place over a coffee table? I sure didn't, but it's perfect. It's beautiful. Seeing the two sparring off against each other, competing with talk of their jobs, their personal lives, and their manliness. The dialogue is mouth-wateringly suggestive, as the two slowly gain a mutual understanding of one another. The line "flipside to that coin" symbolises how the two characters, and even the actors, are different sides of the same coin.
See my blog (you can get to it from by boards profile) for the rest of the review