Diagnosed with an aggressive cancer of the right lung on my 58th birthday (14th July) So not really ...
Diagnosed with an aggressive cancer of the right lung on my 58th birthday (14th July) So not really in the humour for writing much at the moment, although I *WILL* be back before too long...Ken
Member since:06.12.2000
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~ ~ As far as I’m concerned it doesn’t get much better than this. In “Heat” (1995) two of my all time favourite actors, Al Pacino and Robert De Niro, are brought together for the first time on film. Considering that the roles they play in movies are so similar, it’s hardly surprising that they hadn’t been cast together before, as they would often be competitors for the same parts.
~ ~ This is a gangster movie, directed with much style by Michael Mann, the creator of the hugely successful TV series of the 1980’s, Miami Vice. But it’s a gangster movie with a difference. Certainly there are some absolutely awe inspiring action scenes, but Mann doesn’t rely solely on the frenetic pace to keep the viewer enthralled. He also probes in some depth the characters of the two main protagonists, Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino) and Neil McCauley (De Niro), who play the cop and the robber respectively. Hanna is about to become divorced for the third time, due almost entirely to his total obsession to his job, and his relationship with his bored wife (Diane Verona) and his teenage daughter is examined closely. McCauley meanwhile has a simple philosophy in life, (for an armed robber) “Don’t have anything in your life that you can’t walk away from in 30 seconds flat if the heat is coming.” This philosophy is put sorely to the test when he falls heavily for an attractive and sexy young artist (Amy Brenneman), and again this relationship and how it develops is explored by director Mann.
~ ~ But what unquestionably makes the film a resounding success are the incredible action scenes. There is a vivid armoured car heist, and a bank robbery in broad daylight. This goes disastrously wrong, and the resultant shoot out in the packed streets of Los Angeles between Hanna’s team of cops and McCauley’s robbers is one of the most dramatic and realistic you will ever be likely to see on film. Eventually McCauley puts a “team” together for their final big “heist”, that if successful will allow them all to retire in luxury.
~ ~ There is also a meeting in a café between Hanna and McCauley that shows graphically the similarities between the two men, and the grudging respect that they have for each other in their different roles in life. The final showdown scene involving Pacino and De Niro is very dramatic and action packed, but I’m not going to elaborate on this, as it would ruin the whole picture for anyone who hasn’t yet seen it.
~ ~ A strong supporting cast back up De Niro and Pacino, with Jon Voight taking a splendid part as the criminal “fixer”, and Val Kilmer (The Saint) playing a role as one of McCauley’s partners in crime.
~ ~ This is one of the best “cops and robbers” films that I’ve ever seen, and ranks right up there alongside the likes of “The Godfather” and “Once Upon A Time In America” as a real classic of its genre. This movie will really get the adrenaline pumping and the juices flowing. If you missed it first time round, then watch it now.
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Production Year: 2002 - Thriller - Director: Bharat Nalluri, Rob Bailey, Andy Wilson - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Matthew MacFadyen, Keeley Hawes, David Oyelowo, Peter Firth, Jenny Agutter, Lisa Faulkner
Thriller - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Timothy West, Neil Morrissey, Tara Fitzgerald, Annette Crosbie, Pauline Quirke, Rob Brydon, Denise Van Outen, John Thomson, Kevin Whately, David Suchet
Having developed his skill as a master of contemporary crime drama, writer-director ... more
Michael Mann displayed every aspect of that mastery inHeat, an intelligent, character-driven thriller from 1995, which also marked the first onscreen pairing of Robert ...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
When Al Pacino and Robert De Niro square off, 'Heat' sizzles. Written and directed by ... more
Michael Mann, Heat includes dazzling set pieces and a bank heist that USA Today's Mike Clark calls 'the greatest action scene of recent times'.It also offers 'the mos...
Having developed his skill as a master of contemporary crime drama, writer-director ... more
Michael Mann displayed every aspect of that mastery inHeat, an intelligent, character-driven thriller from 1995, which also marked the first onscreen pairing of Robert ...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
When Al Pacino and Robert De Niro square off Heat sizzles. Written and Directed by ... more
Michael Mann Heat includes dazzling set pieces and a bank heist that USA Today's Mike Clark calls "the greatest action scene of recent times". It also offers "the most...
Postage & Packaging: £0.00 Availability: 3-5 working days
![Heat [DVD] [1995]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/78533018.jpg "Heat [DVD] [1995]")
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