Heat is an excellent film all round.

Rating: 10/10 (31 July 1999)

I first saw heat when I was 13 and immediately established it as one of my favourite films. While you could call it slow and/or a standard action/thriller, I feel it has an extra edge which makes it great. It is partly the acting performances by Deniro, Pacino and Kilmer. But one of the best things about this film is the realism displayed in the dialogue and the character development. Even the negro character who only has a short amount of air time is well established as man who is weighed down by a crime ridden past, has reformed, but cannot rid of the tag that his crimes have left with him. The inclusion of Val Kilmer for me was always going to boost my opinion of the film. I feel this is his best performance second only perhaps to his portrayal of Doc Holliday in Tombstone. It is not so much his acting ability or aesthetic appeal that does it for him, but his raw presence and charisma. Finally, I have to give credit to the shootout scene towards the end of the film. I have designated this as my favourite scene in a movie ever despite its violence.
Great stuff.