A Powerhouse Crime Saga

Rating: 10/10 (8 September 1998)

"Heat" is one of the best crime films to come out of this decade. Michael Mann has crafted the perfect companion-piece to his haunting 1981 drama, "Thief". Mann's technical trademarks are present: the haunting, ambient score, and the industrial set design and exteriors add to the film's moody resonance and give Los Angeles a whole other dimension. The acting, writing, and direction is the key, however, and Mann has crafted insightful dialogue, and gotten stellar performances from all involved. It helps that the hunter and his prey and played by two heavy-hitting forces of nature -- Pacino and De Niro. They have a classic moment in a coffeehouse (the first on-screen pairing of the two method men), during which the viewer is left mesmerized as the two men unload the weight of the would in breathless, crisp dialogue. The shoot-out is one of the most cataclysmic, fantastically-choreographed scenes of action in one film; it's the kind of ballistic ballet that only John Woo seems capable of. All the negative reviews of the film gripe (understandably) about the length (or overlength). I didn't care much about the length; this an intensely dramatic crime saga with a depth that is hardly seen in American films of this genre. In short, this is one not to be missed.