Michael Mann, Al Pacino and Robert De Niro at their brilliant best...

Rating: 10/10 (6 September 2008)

Simply incredible. This movie wasn't a massive box office hit like other similar movies but it is easily one of the best movies of all time because put simply, it has it all. To start with, it is visually stunning. Michael Mann couldn't have made LA look any better. Then we have the fantastic cast led by Pacino and De Niro and supported brilliantly by the likes of Val Kilmer and Tom Sizemore. The casting is astonishing considering this wasn't a big budget, box office smash type movie. Then we have possibly the best written storyline in recent history. The story revolves around the dedicated but highly strung cop Vincent Hanna (Pacino) and his team of detectives trying to bust articulated thief Neil MaCauley (De Niro) and his team of bank robbers. The complexity of the characters becomes shades of grey rather than black and white as Neil wants out but struggles to give up doing what he does best and Vincent struggles to hold his marriage together as his pursuit of Neil takes over his life. All the characters in the movie are complex and interesting, adding different dimensions to the already fantastic storyline. It really has the lot. It is nearly 3 hours long but every minute is gripping and develops the story further, and the acting is fantastic. I recommend it any casual fan as much as fans of the genre. Sensational.