Heat
4/4
Starring: Al Pacino, Robert DeNiro, Val Kilmer, Tom Sizemore, Diane Venora, Amy Brenneman, Ashley Judd, Jon Voight, William Fichtner, Natalie Portman
Rated R for Violence and Language
Pacino. DeNiro. Few actors are as skilled and consistent. Once these two performers came into the spotlight, it was perhaps inevitable that they would star in a movie together. Actually, they did star in a movie together before this one ("The Godfather Part II"), but due to the dual timelines, they shared no scenes together. In 1995, Michael Mann revamped his 1989 TV movie, "L.A. Takedown," into an epic crime saga. Unlike many movies that bring stars together (such as "The Bucket List"), this one befits the legends it stars.
The premise is fairly simple: Vincent Hanna (Pacino) is a major crimes detective pursuing a group of professional thieves led by Neil McCauley (DeNiro). But "Heat" is much more than a simple crime story. It's an epic tapestry of people living in Los Angeles. The film's tagline is "A Los Angeles Crime Saga." That defines the movie to a T.
Both Pacino and DeNiro are in top form. As Hanna, Pacino is a contradiction. He is chasing after McCauley with such a tenacity that his marriage is crumbling and he begins to like his prey. McCauley is a brilliant thief, which fascinates Hanna. For his part, McCauley doesn't allow himself to be tied down. It's his survival mechanism. "Allow nothing in your life that you can't walk out on in 30 seconds if you spot the heat around the corner." And yet, a woman named Eady (Brenneman) gets under his skin, which shifts his perspective.
The women in this film are just as important. Diane Venora, an underrated character actress who deserves more fame and roles than she gets, is excellent as Hanna's wife Justine. She loves Hanna, but she is unable to compete with his devotion to his job. Amy Brenneman is adorable as the sweet Eady, although Brenneman's southern accent fades away after her first scene.
"Heat" boasts a dynamite supporting cast, and they all get their chance to shine without mugging for screentime. Val Kilmer, taking over from Keanu Reeves (who turned the role down) is great as Chris, whose thievery is partly due to his gambling addiction. Ashley Judd plays his harried wife, Charlene (and she's good as always). William Fichtner is perfectly sleazy as the banker/money launderer Roger Van Zant. Also bearing mention is Natalie Portman, who plays Justine's daughter Lauren. She shows the promise that catapulted her to stardom. Also starring are Tom Sizemore, Jon Voight (sporting mottled skin and a bad hairdo), and in small roles, Hank Azaria and Jeremy Piven.
Michael Mann has woven a complex and vivid tapestry of characters that are both similar and different. For example, even though Hanna and McCauley are on different sides of the law, they are more alike than they are different. Both are married to the job and alienate their chances for happiness because of it. And, despite their attempts to avoid it, their personal lives are inextricably linked with their professional ones.
Mann is a director that I love, although his two most recent films, "Miami Vice" and "Public Enemies," have misfired pretty badly. His films are intelligent action movies that rely more on character than action, and he doesn't overdose on special effects. He also has an excellent sense of atmosphere and mis-en-scene (generously helped by his usual cinematographer, Dante Spinotti).
In addition to being an engaging character study and crime study, it also has a number of sequences where Mann raises the suspense to very high levels (a prime example is Hanna's stakeout). But the centerpiece of the film is the bank heist.
Putting it bluntly, this scene is a masterpiece, easily one of the best in film history. Instead of relying on stunts and special effects, Mann uses what appears to be real police tactics and unmodified sound for gunfire. The assault rifles crackle rather than boom like they would in an Arnold Schwarzenegger movie. The level of verisimilitude is astounding, and the way Mann shoots it makes for an incredible 20 minutes.
"Heat" was completely ignored by the Academy, a move that while shameful, isn't entirely unexpected. The Academy has made a name for itself out of boneheaded decisions (the fact that "Gladiator" was nominated for anything and that "Shakespeare in Love" beat out "Saving Private Ryan" for best picture is reason enough). DeNiro, Pacino, Venora should have garnered nominations, and Mann should have been nominated for his screenplay and especially his direction. And of course the film should have been nominated for Best Picture.
But who cares about the Academy. The bottom line is that "Heat" is a brilliant story of crime, violence and how people can be more similar than they appear to be. This is definitely a must see.
Starring: Al Pacino, Robert DeNiro, Val Kilmer, Tom Sizemore, Diane Venora, Amy Brenneman, Ashley Judd, Jon Voight, William Fichtner, Natalie Portman
Rated R for Violence and Language
Pacino. DeNiro. Few actors are as skilled and consistent. Once these two performers came into the spotlight, it was perhaps inevitable that they would star in a movie together. Actually, they did star in a movie together before this one ("The Godfather Part II"), but due to the dual timelines, they shared no scenes together. In 1995, Michael Mann revamped his 1989 TV movie, "L.A. Takedown," into an epic crime saga. Unlike many movies that bring stars together (such as "The Bucket List"), this one befits the legends it stars.
The premise is fairly simple: Vincent Hanna (Pacino) is a major crimes detective pursuing a group of professional thieves led by Neil McCauley (DeNiro). But "Heat" is much more than a simple crime story. It's an epic tapestry of people living in Los Angeles. The film's tagline is "A Los Angeles Crime Saga." That defines the movie to a T.
Both Pacino and DeNiro are in top form. As Hanna, Pacino is a contradiction. He is chasing after McCauley with such a tenacity that his marriage is crumbling and he begins to like his prey. McCauley is a brilliant thief, which fascinates Hanna. For his part, McCauley doesn't allow himself to be tied down. It's his survival mechanism. "Allow nothing in your life that you can't walk out on in 30 seconds if you spot the heat around the corner." And yet, a woman named Eady (Brenneman) gets under his skin, which shifts his perspective.
The women in this film are just as important. Diane Venora, an underrated character actress who deserves more fame and roles than she gets, is excellent as Hanna's wife Justine. She loves Hanna, but she is unable to compete with his devotion to his job. Amy Brenneman is adorable as the sweet Eady, although Brenneman's southern accent fades away after her first scene.
"Heat" boasts a dynamite supporting cast, and they all get their chance to shine without mugging for screentime. Val Kilmer, taking over from Keanu Reeves (who turned the role down) is great as Chris, whose thievery is partly due to his gambling addiction. Ashley Judd plays his harried wife, Charlene (and she's good as always). William Fichtner is perfectly sleazy as the banker/money launderer Roger Van Zant. Also bearing mention is Natalie Portman, who plays Justine's daughter Lauren. She shows the promise that catapulted her to stardom. Also starring are Tom Sizemore, Jon Voight (sporting mottled skin and a bad hairdo), and in small roles, Hank Azaria and Jeremy Piven.
Michael Mann has woven a complex and vivid tapestry of characters that are both similar and different. For example, even though Hanna and McCauley are on different sides of the law, they are more alike than they are different. Both are married to the job and alienate their chances for happiness because of it. And, despite their attempts to avoid it, their personal lives are inextricably linked with their professional ones.
Mann is a director that I love, although his two most recent films, "Miami Vice" and "Public Enemies," have misfired pretty badly. His films are intelligent action movies that rely more on character than action, and he doesn't overdose on special effects. He also has an excellent sense of atmosphere and mis-en-scene (generously helped by his usual cinematographer, Dante Spinotti).
In addition to being an engaging character study and crime study, it also has a number of sequences where Mann raises the suspense to very high levels (a prime example is Hanna's stakeout). But the centerpiece of the film is the bank heist.
Putting it bluntly, this scene is a masterpiece, easily one of the best in film history. Instead of relying on stunts and special effects, Mann uses what appears to be real police tactics and unmodified sound for gunfire. The assault rifles crackle rather than boom like they would in an Arnold Schwarzenegger movie. The level of verisimilitude is astounding, and the way Mann shoots it makes for an incredible 20 minutes.
"Heat" was completely ignored by the Academy, a move that while shameful, isn't entirely unexpected. The Academy has made a name for itself out of boneheaded decisions (the fact that "Gladiator" was nominated for anything and that "Shakespeare in Love" beat out "Saving Private Ryan" for best picture is reason enough). DeNiro, Pacino, Venora should have garnered nominations, and Mann should have been nominated for his screenplay and especially his direction. And of course the film should have been nominated for Best Picture.
But who cares about the Academy. The bottom line is that "Heat" is a brilliant story of crime, violence and how people can be more similar than they appear to be. This is definitely a must see.
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