An Excellent,Epic,Unforgettable And Powerful Crime Drama Masterpiece From Michael Mann. Michael Mann,Al Pacino And Robert De Niro At Their Best.

Rating: 10/10 (3 November 2013)

Heat is an excellent,epic,unforgettable and powerful Crime Drama Masterpiece that combines amazing direction,brilliant performances from Al Pacino,Robert De Niro and a great ensemble cast,thrilling Action,a fantastic script and a memorable score make Heat one of my favorite films,Michael Mann,Al Pacino and Robert De Niro at their best and a Masterpiece of cinema.
Set in Los Angeles,California,Heat tells the story of Vincent Hanna(Al Pacino),an L.A.P.D. Homicide detective who's investigating a heist and the homicide a heist that was lead by Neil McCauley(Robert De Niro),an expert thief and robber that's in charge of a crew that helps Neil rob and steal and is really good. When Neil and his crew continue to rob and steal,Vincent is determined to take down Neil and his crew at all costs.
Heat is a brilliant,unforgettable,epic Masterpiece that saw the paring of two amazing actors Al Pacino and Robert De Niro going head to head and although the two co-starred in The Godfather Part II(1974),Pacino and De Niro never appeared on screen together. From beginning to end Heat is an unforgettable Masterwork that gives viewers a film of cinematic power a movie that is a mixture of Crime Drama,Action movie and character study giving viewers a film that is unique and fresh making Heat one of the greatest Crime Dramas of all time but also the greatest Cops and Robbers film ever made. Heat is a movie that keeps you glued to the screen and is a film that is intense and thrilling,dark and gritty and at the same time vibrant and powerful with a tight grip that never lets go until the end. Heat is an epic film in the truest sense of the word not only in length(170 minutes)but the way it is shown with lots of characters and great storytelling and while the film is long you are Like most Michael Mann's films Heat is a movie that combines great style and substance the style is in the film looks thanks to Dante Spinotti's visually stunning photography using the colors blue and gray that gives the film a stylish look almost like a stylish but realistic Film Noir where the characters are surrounded by a darkness. The city of Los Angeles also plays a huge part Heat's style and look because the way that L.A. looks in this film because while there is still bright lights and great sunlight in the background it's very atmospheric and gritty not just at night but also in the daytime too. Mann loves filming in Los Angeles and it shows with this movie. The substance in Heat is the way Director Michael Mann approaches the Cops and Robbers movie and the main characters because what makes Heat rise above other Cops and Robbers movies that Mann not only focuses on Vincent and Neil professional lives but also their personal lives and the personal lives of most of the characters around them which makes Heat a unique film in it's own right. Vincent and Neil are two amazing characters and are two of the best characters Michael Mann have ever created because while the two characters are on the opposite sides of the law(cop and thief),Vincent and Neil are mirrors of each other in the way they do their jobs and are obsessive with what they do. Vincent and Neil are also characters with great depth and complexity and when you look into their personal lives you will relate to the two and realize are multi-dimensional characters. Vincent and Neil are two characters you will never forget The screenplay by Michael Mann is brilliant and memorable with dialog that is tough and gritty while at the same time intelligent and powerful with characters that are unforgettable. The prime example of Mann's great writing is the classic,famous and iconic restaurant scene between Vincent and Neil. The Heist and robbery scenes are fantastic and done with great detail and realism that you would probably see in a real life robbery. The Action scenes in Heat are great and thrilling and the most exciting Action scene in Heat is the big shootout that happens which is one of the best Action scenes in movie history because it's so intense and powerful and done with great realism and will just blow your mind. The ending of Heat is one of the greatest endings in film history because while the ending is simple it is just so amazing,effective and done with so much emotion and depth. The ending is amazing and unforgettable and is one of the things that makes Heat a Masterpiece.
The whole cast is terrific. Al Pacino is excellent and at his best as Lt. Vincent Hanna,with Pacino bringing emotion,depth and intensity to role. Robert De Niro is brilliant and at his best as Neil McCauley,with De Niro bringing power,grit and emotion to the role. Val Kilmer is fantastic as Chris,the right hand man on Neil's crew. Jon Voight is wonderful as Nate,a man that gives Neil information. Tom Sizemore is great as Michael,a member of Neil's crew. Diane Venora(Justine Hanna),Amy Brennemann(Eddy)and Ashley Judd(Charlene)do wonderful jobs as the main female characters. Mykelti Williamson(Sgt. Drucker),Wes Studi(Detective Casals),Ted Levine(Bosko),Dennis Haybert(Donald),William Fichtner(Roger Van Zant),Natalie Portman(Lauren),Tom Noonan(Kelso),Kevin Gage(Waingro),Hank Azaria(Alan),Danny Trejo(Trejo),Henry Rollins(Hugh),Jeremy Piven(Dr. Bob),Bud Cort(Cook),Ricky Harris(Albert Torena)and Tone Loc(Richard Torena)give good performances as well.
The direction by Michael Mann is brilliant and stylish,with Mann always moving the camera and giving the film a great visual style while also doing a great job with the Action scenes and Heist/Robbery scenes. Wonderful direction,Mann.
The score by Elliot Goldenthal is fantastic,powerful and intense and fits with film's tone. I also loved Goldenthal's version of Moby's song God Moving Over The Face Of The Waters which is perfect for the final scene. Great score,Goldenthal.
In final word,if you love Michael Mann,Al Pacino,Robert De Niro,Crime Dramas,Action films or cinema in general,I highly suggest you see Heat,an excellent,unforgettable epic Masterpiece that is Michael Mann,Al Pacino,Robert De Niro at their best.