My Favorite Movie

Rating: 10/10 (21 April 2004)

With Dante Spinotti's sharp cinematography and Michael Mann's exceptional directorial hand at the helm, Heat doesn't just play as a cops and robbers movie. While running at almost 3 hours, the film never seems slow or boring. There is always the right amount of tension on the screen. Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro bring gravitas to the tired roles of the dedicated cop and worn out robber, their first and last meets are touching in a way. Jon Voigt also brings considerable depth to the performance. The best scene in the film is between Voigt and DeNiro, the two are conversing on the phone for the last time before DeNiro is to escape, the simple words they say and the meaning beneath them (set to Elliot Goldenthal's mesmirizing score) almost brought me to tears. Michael Mann is the best filmmaker working, and this is by far his best film.