A truly poetic film.

Rating: Null/10 (28 January 1999)

It's difficult to sum up in a 1,000 word description a film like Heat. Having read through some of the comments and agreeing with all of them (I've yet to see a negative one) it's hard to add anything that hasn't already been said. I could talk about 'that' scene but why bother? If you haven't seen the film but have read the other comments then I hope you've caught on that it's pretty good. If you have seen then you should know that it's one the greatest ever caught on camera. I could go on about how Pacino and De Niro are simply breathtaking in every frame but I believe thats already been mentioned. Perhaps I should mention the fact that its story is an unparalleled study in human nature, professionalism and obsession. Nah, thats been done to death.
Maybe it's enough simply to say this. Heat is a masterpiece. If ever a film could be poetry then this is it. As emotional and thrilling as it's possible to be. Rarely does a film about crime manage to cover as much ground in as much time as this one does. The cast is awe-inspiring. Pacino and De Niro are the stars but the support is never eclipsed. The characters are so real you could almost touch them and the intricate plot never leaves you hanging. Michael Mann, possibly the most under-recognised director in the business, deserves full credit and I shall sign off my review with a testament to his skills as writer and director with these two scenes both of which involve Kilmer. Those that have yet to see the film should stop now.
The first is during the shootout from the bank getaway. Kilmer is shot in the shoulder attempting to escape and gets dropped. That's it. No messing around with slo-mos. No background music. He just gets dropped. Simple. Any other film would highlight the scene. Mann just lets it happen knowing that the action itself will be enough for the audience. That is a display of trust that few directors have to guts to have.
Next is Kilmers final scene. He's been baited to a police trap by his wife who has been coerced to co-operate under a threat of taking thier child into care. All his wife has to do is stand by the window and draw Kilmer in when he arrives. Kilmer does and sees his wife. His wife sees him and in one of the most emotional scenes I've ever witnessed gives a silent warning. A word isn't said throughout the scene but there doesn't need to be any. It's in their eyes and their faces. Kilmer will escape but most likely never see his family again. His wife will get off but never see him again. Kilmer's the bad guy, in a film where bad is a relative term, but we feel sorry for him and his wife. That takes true talent. It's that talent that makes Heat what it is. One of the greatest films this decade, century, millennium. Take your pick.