Heat
171 minutes,
USA (1995), 15
Average user rating 
(4.6 / 71 votes)
(4.6 / 71 votes)
Michael Mann unites De Niro and Pacino for this masterful tale of LA bank-robbers and the cops on their case
Director:
Heat Review
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Michael Mann unites De Niro and Pacino for this masterful tale of LA bank-robbers and the cops on their case
After his inspired take in 1992 on The Last Of The Mohicans, writer-director Michael Mann turned his prodigious but occasionally unwieldy talent back to crime and punishment, and Heat ranks among the best and most sophisticated of the 1990's (many, many) heist dramas.
Much has been made of the pairing of Al Pacino, as the obsessed cop Vincent Hanna, and Robert De Niro, as his rival, crime gang leader Neil McCauley. They are great, but as is usual with Mann - famous for the demands he makes of his cast - the entire line-up fizzes with energy, investing Mann's writing with a compelling rawness and depth.
The central story of a heist that turns vicious is the basis for numerous sub-plots and characters, with moments of melancholy and dark comedy. Quite rightly, this confirmed Mann as one of Hollywood's smartest, most stylish and emotionally articulate directors.
Much has been made of the pairing of Al Pacino, as the obsessed cop Vincent Hanna, and Robert De Niro, as his rival, crime gang leader Neil McCauley. They are great, but as is usual with Mann - famous for the demands he makes of his cast - the entire line-up fizzes with energy, investing Mann's writing with a compelling rawness and depth.
The central story of a heist that turns vicious is the basis for numerous sub-plots and characters, with moments of melancholy and dark comedy. Quite rightly, this confirmed Mann as one of Hollywood's smartest, most stylish and emotionally articulate directors.
Verdict
Powerful, sophisticated and magnificently stylish crime drama. Mann steers it with intensity and intelligence, and the two icons at its centre exhibit an irresistable magnetism.
Powerful, sophisticated and magnificently stylish crime drama. Mann steers it with intensity and intelligence, and the two icons at its centre exhibit an irresistable magnetism.
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