A clash of leaders

Rating: 10/10 (27 March 1999)

This is not your typical cops & thieves story... Hanna (Pacino) and McCauley (deNiro) are two faces of the same coin as they set in a collision course. Like opponents in a live chess game, they like and respect each other even as their fight unravels. Each has his own devoted crew. They elicit respect and loyalty from them because they set the example by throwing themselves first in the line of fire and sacrificing their personal lives in the process. What for? you may ask. The answer is the excitement of the chase, more than the result: "regular life? what the f*** is that? barbecues and ball games?" is what McCauley despises most of all in the most dramatic encounter of the movie. Their rejection of "regular life" is what sets them apart from your "regular fellow." Whether you agree or not, you can't help but immerse yourself with them in their deadly game, and wish that you could achieve their detachment from the rest of the world, just for one second, in your own pursuits.... A true masterpiece.