The fastest and possibly one of, if not the, best three hours of your movie-going life.

Rating: 10/10 (19 April 2008)

Acted to perfection, rich in character traits, taut direction,... these words simply never can do this film justice.
What began as a simple tale of cops and robbers suddenly develops into insightful and poignant characterization, the boundaries between good and evil, and facing up to one's demons. Yes, not only did this film deliver by the thrills, it gave us, the audience, an in depth look at the lives of two equal men who work on opposite sides of the law, and how their routines affect them, in the city of Los Angeles.
First off, I would like to say that the acting in this movie is extremely well. You really emphasize with the characters and, for some, fell a sort of sympathy towards them. Kudos to Pacino and De Niro for playing the dedicated detective and disciplined thief, respectively. Both these men are exceptionally excellent actors and in this film, their acting is done to perfection. Without them, the film is nothing. Notable performances in the film: Val Kilmer, Natalie Portman, Diane Venora, Amy Brenneman, and of course the lovely Ashley Judd.
For the cinematography, I must say that Dante Spinotti has done a tremendous job with the scenery. The city of LA has never looked this wide or gritty until this film. The nighttime scenes and the helicopter flybys of the film are stunning to watch, as it majestically captures a sparkling portrait of Los Angeles set against an urban world.
To accompany the cinematography, the music by Elliot Goldenthal is unforgettable. Especially the arrangements with the Kronos Quartet. It really adds to the entire atmosphere and theme of the movie.
Kudos to director/writer Michael Mann. The direction is taut (as mentioned earlier) and whip-smart, the story fantastically evolving and original, and the screenplay is well-written. The action scenes were extremely well-handled, and is kinetic and heart pounding, and best - and most important of all, realistic. This is what makes it stand out from the rest of the other crime films - they tend to put in moments of Deux Ex Machina, such as the police knowing every trick up the crooks' sleeve - but not this film. It's good, because Mann is dedicated to show both sides of the cop vs. criminal story, and he succeeds with masterful results. From this film and Collateral, I can tell he is a skilled and dedicated filmmaker when it comes to crime thrillers. By the time the film ends you won't even know three hours have passed.
In short, this film is nothing short of a masterpiece. It will stand the test of time for many, many years to come. If you manage to see it in a store, or while channel-surfing, do yourselves a favor and watch it. If you consider a fan of Pacino and/or De Niro, watch it. If you are crime movie fan, action fan or even a movie buff, you MUST watch it. I assure you readers, you will never get disappointed by this film.
9.994/10
Delton.