Crime has (almost) never looked so good.

Rating: 8/10 (1 August 2019)

A film so successful in its execution and, well...success, that it has been parodied and referenced to no end, in other heist films, in video games like the Grand Theft Auto series and even, arguably, real life. The film has been cited and blamed for real world robberies - most notably, the 1997 North Hollywood shootout. Whether or not it's impact was substantial enough for full-blown blame is up for debate. But it still goes to show just how far reaching the influence of Heat is.
Now, I don't revere this film as much as other people might do. It's still great, don't get me wrong - it does a good job of managing its near three hour runtime, the brutality and realism of the famous shootout heist-gone-wrong scene is top notch and of course, the highlight of the entire film for me is the chemistry between Al Pacino and Robert De Niro's characters which is showcased brilliantly in the coffee shop scene where this understated, soft music plays and then culminates into a more ominous moment where, though they share immense mutual respect between them, if it comes to it...they will both try to kill the other. And that scene is only part of the reason why this film is so acclaimed. There's also the romance between Robert De Niro's character and Eady, which is surprisingly touching, but much like the rest of the film, it has a tinge of darkness and sombreness to it when Eady discovers that Neil (De Niro) is a criminal and that she was blinded by her love and naivety. Finally, the way Heat demonstrates how easily and quickly criminal organisations can crumble is simple but effectively executed, where one mistake becomes the entire crew's downfall...leading to the death of Neil which, much like his romance, has heart to it with Al Pacino holding his hand as he passes on. It's a bit sappy, sure, but it works.
The only major thing I can think of that I didn't like as much about it was the cinematography. It's serviceable, and does its job well...and if the film is of a high enough quality level like this one, it shouldn't matter that the cinematography isn't perfection incarnate. And besides, there's some interesting things Michael Mann does with lighting and shadows which especially comes into play in the tense climax at the end of the film. I just think it's one of Heat's weaker elements, as there isn't a whole lot that was particularly striking about it, taking everything into consideration.