Possibly my favourite ever movie

Rating: 10/10 (5 September 2003)

There is simply too much in this dense film to recommend, but I'll try.
First off, the much-talked about on-screen pairing of De Niro and Pacino for the first time. Kim Newman referred to the scenes that they share as "padded" and he may have a point, but whenever these two are on screen together, the screen crackles with pure talent and energy. The coffee shop is one of many highlights. Pacino is doing the best rendition of his shouty loud mouth, but at other times shows vulnerability and frustration. His Vincent Hanna is a man trying to make a go of his third marriage and keep his stepdaughter on the rails, failing to do so because his every waking minute is spent trying to think ahead of and snare those he pursues - murderers. Truly one of Pacino's best roles - up there with Dog Day Afternoon and Insomnia - a man trying to do something right and good, whose energy occasionally goes in the wrong directions. His scenes with Diane Venora - his wife, Justine - elevate the part from your average obsessed cop to something more tragic and weary.
De Niro owns this film. Neil MacAuley is "the flipside" to Pacino's character, an equally dedicated, forward thinking individual, more at home on the street doing his "job" than interacting on a human level. His mantra is simple: "Do not allow anything to be in your life that you can't walk away from in thirty seconds flat if you feel the heat around the corner". Pacino is that heat and we see him try to allow things into his life, knowing that the time to run will be soon. He is trying to put things right, advising his colleagues to think twice before committing to jobs with him, knowing they have more to risk than him - namely, relationships and families - and trying to forge a relationship with a young bookstore clerk. MacAuley's hang up is time, dividing all his professional and personal deeds into priority depending on how much time he has left to get done what he needs to do. De Niro makes a return to the gravitas and presence he showed in films like Godfather II and Raging Bull, bringing out a lonely character who works by precision and can handle any given situation by switching from thinker to man of action at the drop of a hat. Again, one of his most accomplished performances, perhaps his last great role to date amid occasional misfires and mediocrity that has followed.
Also worthy of mention is Val Kilmer whose Chris is another finely etched tragic character. As accomplished a thief as MacAuley, married to the beautiful Charlene - Ashley Judd - he squanders his money on gambling, ruining his marriage. Kilmer plays Chris as a cold, efficient member of the crew, saving the display of emotion welling up inside him for his exit from the film which is genuinely heart-breaking. The rest of the cast is filled with recognisable faces all doing sterling work in smaller roles, notably Tom Sizemore, Natalie Portman, Mykelti Williamson, Wes Studi, Kevin Gage, William Fichtner, Danny Trejo and Dennis Haysbert in a small but touching part.
Micheal Mann directs with a combination of the glossy architectural style which marks out his earlier films (Thief, Manhunter, Last of the Mohicans) and a more rugged, hand-held style for the excellent action sequences. The centrepiece action sequence which breaks the film into two halves is one of the most exciting, deftly handled action scenes ever filmed. Every bullet is accounted for and it is not merely an excuse for a shootout - it is the culmination of all the efforts of the characters involved up to that point, making the casualties and the impact of the events that much more dramatically involving. There is a feeling that the whole film is Mann's baby, a project which he has nurtured and designed to perfection. Every second is perfect within context. The look of the film is not overly stylised, but perfectly framed. The camera glides when helicopters or cars are speeding past and jolts when shots are being fired and characters are frantically running around. Yet everything has a sense of precision. Watching the cops and robbers firing at each other in formations, its hard to say who is the better trained. When Pacino's task force catch up with the crew on an early break-in, we see only what we need to see, from the points of view of Pacino and De Niro respectively. Likewise we are given enough information about every character, no matter how small, to understand their motivations and their lifestyles.
The other element which helps elevate this film even more is the score and soundtrack. Switching between the beautiful send-off theme, Moby and the machine-like beat of the bank robbery theme, every note works to highlight the emotion or impact of its given scene. Whether it be Pacino chasing across LA in first a helicopter then a car to pull De Niro over, the robbery itself or the much debated but - for me - pitch perfect ending, the score is a delight, often very subtle. Elliot Goldenthal deserves to be ranked with Hans Zimmer and Howard Shore among the finest composers working in studio scores for his work on this film alone.
An example of intelligent, exciting, dramatic and moving cinema and one of the greatest crime thrillers ever made. Do yourself a favour and see it now.