Overall Rating: 99.1
"Heat" manages to completely break the mold in terms of what it means to be a crime-drama. While "The Godfather" may be the pinnacle of the crime saga, "Heat" manages to take the intensity of a crime syndicate into the modern era. Despite coming out in 1995, it still holds up as one of the premiere films of all-time.
Set in Los Angeles, the story follows professional criminal Neil McCauley (De Niro) leads a team of men (Kilmer, Tom Sizemore, Danny Trejo, Dennis Haysbert) through the high-intensity world of bank robbery. On the opposite side of the law, a police lieutenant (Pacino) commits everything to tracking down the robbers and stopping them before they can strike again.
The beauty of "Heat" is the behind the scenes aspect of it. It's not just a crime caper, but a look into the lives and mentalities of these men on opposite ends of the spectrum. While McCauley is the best at what he does, he still has an end game in finishing that one final score and retiring with his love interest (Amy Brenneman). For Pacino's Lt. Hanna, he struggles with the life of constantly chasing these bad people and not bringing that life home to his wife (Diane Venora) and step-daughter (a young Natalie Portman).
"Heat" also showcases director Michael Mann's signature style. With a hint of shaky-cam tactics, and close up shots, Mann throws you right into the action. His masterful use of the LA skyline as a backdrop worked so well, he found himself incorporating in to future films such as "Collateral".
The audio of "Heat" is some of the best sound design in any action film. The realistic gun fire echoing off the skyscrapers through the streets of downtown LA are haunting (for those with access to the DVD, I strongly encourage watching the making of vignette).
The immediate draw of "Heat" is the action and bank robbery scenes. What keeps you coming back for multiple viewings however, is the dialogue and character building amongst the amazing ensemble cast. Even actors who have less than 10 minutes of screen time like Danny Trejo and Henry Rollins each leave their mark. It was, and remains a paramount example of crafting a high-octane crime film, while keeping the drama at the heart of the experience.
Individual Ratings
Enjoyment Factor: 10
Dialogue: 10
Acting: 9
Direction: 10
Audio/Visual: 10
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