Heat

Heat is three hours full of genre joy. It may seem a bit dated now, and the original Michael Mann script is from 1979 and the events that inspired it are of course even older. The first endeavor was supposed to be a series, which remained at the pilot - L.A. Takedown. Nevertheless, even with that 90s look, it is still a first-class acting showcase by Al Pacino and Robert De Niro. There are solid performances even in the supporting roles, especially Val Kilmer, Ashley Judd and the young Natalie Portman. Heat has several peaks, the opulent shootout comes after two hours as the climax of the first act, surprisingly fitting into the second act is also a very well-written romance and a family drama of epic proportions. A surprisingly solid experience. (03/31/2024)

A thrilling film where I didn’t mind the excessive runtime. De Niro and Al Pacino are reunited in a movie after a long time and it's worth it. A brilliant mix of action and a kind of subtly psychological portrait of two standing on the opposite side of the law, but who have respect for each other and something in common. Some passages are based on real events, e.g. the pivotal scene of DeNiro and Pacino's conversation in the restaurant actually happened. Heat is one of the best films of the 1990s. (05/11/2003)

I love this. A famously created script that does not divide good and evil. The antipodes have the greatest understanding for each other, and the viewer does not necessarily take a stand based on morality and incompatible principles. Two demonic outcasts, completely committed to their mission. Coincidentally, they are aiming weapons at each other. Mann carries the film with his precise directing, which has an incredibly captivating pace and timing of dramatic climaxes. The final scene is minimalist, brilliant. A precisely tuned soundtrack. Perfect cast in every detail and the appropriate acting performances. Everything works: the action, the psychology, and the plot. If you want a good crime drama, this is it. (08/26/2008)

I needed a second screening to fully discover the genius and filmmaking level of this masterpiece by Mann. Now I know where to look for the tip of the iceberg, which in this case is a metaphor for all crime films, and to what height Heat rises above all others. Together with The Godfather and The Fugitive, it’s the most intense experience in the genre, and for me personally, in cinema as such. Long after the end, you can still feel on your own skin the incredible atmosphere of the second half, which will forever be written in golden letters in the history of cinema – every scene heightens the tension and the emotions, every look of the excellent actors is worth a thousand words. The action scenes are incredibly realistic and impressive, and the famous shootout in the city streets is probably the best ever on screen. The script is well thought out and unreadable, just as it should be, and I've never seen such a brilliant acting duo as the one Pacino and De Niro have created here as two sworn enemies that respect each other; their amazing performances complete what Mann wouldn’t have been able to do on his own, and most importantly, the two of them bring the film to the unwavering top. They, and the developed psychology of all the other characters, admittedly stretch the runtime quite a bit, but without that the story could never have achieved such power and brought even the toughest action fan to tears with the final shot. Now I also know another thing I can be a little proud of: I was born the year Heat was made. (09/15/2011)

As much as I didn't think Michael Mann was that great in Miami Vice and Collateral, I liked him 100% from the start, and although I was very skeptical about the three-hour running time, after a few minutes I knew it would be good. It's hard to pick just one aspect of the film, because Heat scores in almost all of them. The characters are fleshed out, we learn a lot about their families and overall backstory, so we as viewers get a decent foundation around which to build our emotions throughout and actually understand everyone involved and their motivations, both from the detectives and the robbers. Not to mention, all this filmmaking around the individual characters is pretty meaningful scenes and fills the runtime decently instead of the boring filler that is seen in today's output. In terms of acting, the film is uncompromising. Robert De Niro is excellent, Al Pacino fits the role of the detective beautifully, and Val Kilmer is my new favorite because he's an actor with a unique look, facial expressions, and charisma. The film oozes authenticity, the characters are written and acted excellently, we understand all their motivations and thoughts, and the action is decent too, which hints at the only problem I had with the film. I found the last hour to be a bit of a "finisher" that skimps on action and suspense, but rather just tries to draw out the climax of the relationship between the main characters and create a final impression, which is a shame because if they had gone one better with more action, a bigger shootout or a robbery, I would have had nothing to object to. All in all, though, this is a very good film that had no competition in the genre even then, and I think it would be pretty hard to find even today – Mann just showed that this is what he's good at, and Heat is a full-on action entertainer that doesn't fall short on any level. (08/13/2021)