A great cop thriller with a rich tapestry of characters and subplots topped with two fantastic actors brought together for the first time

Rating: Null/10 (13 April 2004)

Neil McCauley is a professional crook; he and his crew do very planned and detailed jobs and execute them without error. Vincent Hanna is a cop who's life revolves around catching criminals with robbery homicide division. One botched job brings these two men into direct confrontation, sparking a cat and mouse game where McCauley's crew wants one last job, regardless of the heat that is being put on them by Hanna.
The fact that this film brings with it one of the most anticipated onscreen pairings in recent memory is only the icing on a cake that stands out as one of the best cop thrillers of the 1990's. Essentially a remake of the much lesser LA Takedown, Mann delivers a story that is a simple tale of two men on the opposite sides of the law who clash heads over one job - each using the skills they have in their field in an attempt to do what they have to do, but only one can succeed. However this is layered with such great characters that it is difficult not to be impressed - many films would benefit from even half the characters and subplots that this has.
If they hadn't worked, then these subplots and side characters would have felt unnecessary and really dragged the film down. It is to the script's credit that this doesn't happen here and what they actually do is strength and enrich the central narrative and easily fills out the running time. The direction is great - visually the film is impressive and it really uses the streets of LA to good effect; I was really taken by how Mann was able to not only manage that side of things but to also to deliver on the characters as well. It is not without problems though - and some of the subplots are running for some time before we find out what the point of the character is (most notably in Breedan's cook). Also some of the threads seem unnecessary and distract - the fact that McCauley's betrayer is also a rapist is a side issue, while Lauren's problems are not dealt with that well.
The plot is a solid crime thriller but it is the characters that make it so much better - in particular those of Hanna and McCauley, both of whom are well developed to the point that the audience never sides for one over the other. The John Woo thread where the two men have admiration for one another is well done but not overdone.
Of course a massive boost to the delivery of this dynamic is the pairing of two actors who, regardless of bad spells, are rightly revered as two of the finest of their generation. Both are on great form here and it is as good a showcase for them as any other film. It is impossible to say who is better because both are excellent - hell, even Pacino's OTT woo-ha'ing works here! Both bring so much to their performances, using minor facial expressions to convey so much - just look at De Niro as he drives through the tunnel at the end, we don't need to be told his inner thoughts because De Niro lets us see them. The plot holds back their first meeting and it is worth waiting for - it doesn't overdo it and it proves that less is more. They both underplay in a scene that lacks fireworks but is immensely satisfying.
On top of this the support cast are roundly excellent with the material to work with in most cases. Kilmer is not great normally but is excellent here, as is Sizemore and a nice role for John Voight. It may be strange to see Haysbert now that he is famous for 24, but he is good here - even if the relevance of his subplot is less than clear until later. Fitchtner, Williamson, Levine and Noonan are all good but, if the film has a weak link, then it is in the female characters. The female cast are good on paper but they aren't given their fair share of the material. Judd stands out because she is given a decent character but Portman, Venora and the beautiful Brenneman are only really required to fit in the best they can. In fairness this is a minor compliant as such a rich tapestry was always going to have flaws - especially in such a masculine film.
So, yes, this film has the odd weakness - the female roles aren't as strong as the male ones, and some of the subplots require a bit of faith that they will come through, but mostly the film hangs together as one that works superficially, on a basic plot level but also deeper with great characters who have their own lives and are not simply there to say their lines and fill in the background.