truly breathtaking, will result in the viewer wanting to write a thesis-driven essay

Rating: 10/10 (24 November 2006)

In my opinion, Michael Mann's best work. The amount of planning that went into this film is unbelievable: including the weapons training, the character development, and the casting. The atmosphere between De Niro and Pacino is electrifying, right down to the final scene. There is a real restaurant in Los Angeles where one day of the week police detectives sit down and eat together, and on a separate night, known ex-criminals have dinner in the same room. Michael Mann placed his actors(police with detectives, and bank heist crew with mobsters) in the same room to listen to their stories, to get a feel for their role, for their character. It is this type of preparation that makes Heat one of my most cherished films. I would highly recommend viewing the special features disc because of stories like these that further explain the expert craftsmanship of Heat.