Simply put...a film EVENT

Rating: 10/10 (18 June 2005)

This movie is a reminder WHY people LOVE movies. Take a brilliant writer/director in the film genre he was MADE for (Michael Mann) add in two of the most respected film actors in history (Pacino and Deniro), add in a supporting cast of brilliant young upstarts...and throw in a great caper story filled with tense action and powerful, well developed characters. If you don't like this movie...you don't like movies. Working in a video store for 3 years, I saw a lot of movies...but this movie was the one I recommended the most, to all ages, and all types of movie watchers. I don't think one person came back and said I was wrong. Deniro is hard, cool perfection in a role that was tailor-fitted to his acting strengths. Pacino's portrayal of a cop at the edge was done with the bravado only Pacino gets away with because of its consistency and power. The story is well developed, dramatically flawless and beautifully directed by Michael Mann. It truly lives up to its adline: An L.A. Crime Saga. I don't throw the word around easily...but Saga this was. I've yet to see a film so masterful in its execution...not sayin' its the best movie of all time...but I think you could make an argument that its one of the best crime dramas ever put to celluloid and FEW would have grounds to argue.