Undoubtedly ‘Michael Mann’s’ best, Heat is an excellent blend of fine acting, a superb storyline, suspense and perfect precision – action set sequences, Making it what I believe to be the greatest heist movie ever made. (Ahead of ‘Heist’ and sadly even ‘Reservoir Dogs’).
As most know Al ... Read review
Production Year: 2002 - Action/Adventure - Director: Vincenzo Natali - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring:Lucy Liu, David Hewlett, Anne Marie Scheffler, Joseph Scoren, Matthew Sharp, Jeremy Northam
Production Year: 1964 - Action/Adventure - Director: Cyril Endfield - Original Language: English - Classification: Parental Guidance - Starring:Stanley Baker, Jack Hawkins, Ulla Jacobsson, James Booth, Michael Caine, Nigel Green
Action/Adventure - Original Language: English - Classification: 12 years and over - Starring:Jack Ging, Marla Heasley, Lance Legault, Melinda Culea, Mr T, Dwight Schultz, Dirk Benedict, George Peppard, Carl Franklin
Perfect Casting, Story, Action, directing - the list goes on forever !
Disadvantages:
None what so ever - although at present, there are no DVD extras .
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
Undoubtedly ‘Michael Mann’s’ best, Heat is an excellent blend of fine acting, a superb storyline, suspense and perfect precision – action set sequences, Making it what I believe to be the greatest heist movie ever made. (Ahead of ‘Heist’ and sadly even ‘Reservoir Dogs’).
As most know Al Pacino and Robert De Niro are two of the most well-known and respected actors still working on film. Brilliant at what they do and have impressed audiences with they superior acting skills for decades. Although both are labelled to many remember-able films, (Listed in ‘Background to movie’) between them they have only won three Oscars, (Al Pacino for best actor in ‘Scent of a woman’ and Robert De Niro for best actor and best supporting actor in ‘Raging Bull’ and ‘The Godfather Part II’). Even though they have both been nominated for many more and given other types, I think they have deserved to win more Oscars.
Anyway, having two of my favourite actors and at the same time being Hollywood legends, give excellent performances in the same film, since ‘The Godfather Part II’ is one of the reasons I think ‘Heat’ is such a great film.
Pacino and De Niro are not the only well chosen cast in the film, Tom Sizemore gives his best performance since ‘Natural Born Killers’. John Voight plays a small but effective role; Val Kilmer shows his true talent and William Fichtner, Danny Trejo Wes Studi and Natalie Portman also give impressive performances.
Heat is a long film, originally shown with over 3 hours of presentational time, but with repetitive editing, it was cut down to 171 minutes. However, do not let the length put you off seeing the it, there is never a boring moment, with a story to keep you gripped and THE BEST bank heist you will ever see!
You can watch Heat more than once, still receiving the same thrills from the same scenes. The camera angles were perfect and the special effects were impressive.
A good, good film, having it on DVD is perfect, with the picture and sound quality at a good standard. Although if you were planning to purchase it soon on DVD, I would advise you wait a couple of months, as ‘Heat – special edition’ will be out shortly.
About the Movie (Some plot points may be revealed).
Heat could lightly be described as a film about 2 lives on opposite sides of the law. One an ‘LA’ cop, Lt. Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino) and the other an expert thief, Neil McCauley (De Niro). The film is about McCauley and his gang planning to pull off one big bank robbery to enable them to settle down for good. But on the other side of the law are Vincent and his enforcers, making sure that doesn’t happen.
The film does have exciting, remember-able, and suspenseful scenes as-well as one hell of a climax.
It starts off with De Niro and his friends pulling off a small but carefully planned job in the middle of the night involving a Security car and an ambulance. The scene is impressive, but in a way disturbing, when one of De Niro’s new recruits ‘Waingro’ (Kevin Gage) kills a guard in cold blood due to lack of experience and idiocy. Having his carefully laid plan screwed up De Niro attempts to kill Waingro but is not successful.
Throughout the film De Niro and his crew, made up of De Niro, Val Kilmer, Tom Sizemore and Danny Trejo, are scheming and meeting to come up with the perfect Heist. All the while being monitored by Pacino and the LA police.
John Voight comes into the film as De Niro’s friend and connection that is there to help arrange certain things and meetings.
After one bungled robbery in a warehouse, the group plan for their big hit, however before that in a great scene, cop and robber – Pacino and De Niro, meet up and chat over coffee in a nearby café. They chat for a while informing one another that if they have the chance they would not hesitate to kill on another.. All the time, giving each other a certain amount of respect. A fantastically filmed scene.
Eventually the robbery takes place, a tense well shot scene as the group attempts to each take a bag full of money causally out of the bank into their get-away-car. However, they had under-estimate Pacino and his force and forgot about their recruit that got away, ‘Waingro’, who had been telling of their plans to rob the bank. Both of the exits are blocked off and there in the most outstanding moment of the film, there is a shoot out to remember. I will not tell you who lives or dies, but the remainer of the film could not have been wrote better – ending in a beautiful climax, leaving you feeling cold but relieved. A superb film.
Background to Movie
Heat is a Michael Mann film, having been directed and wrote by him, which he does very successfully. (Michael Mann – Manhunter, Last of the Mohicans, Ali, the Insider).
The films length varies on where you go. The British DVD is 171 minutes (2 hours and 51 minutes) but in the USA, you can get the original copy at 188 minutes (3 Hours and 8 minutes).
The film mainly stared: - Al Pacino (The Godfather Part 1,2 and 3, Scareface, Dog day afternoon, Panic in needle park, Scent of a woman, Donnie Brasco, The Insider, Insomnia) – as Lt. Vincent Hanna.
Robert De Niro (The Godfather Part 2, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, The Untouchables, Goodfellas, Casino, Copland, Meet the Parents, Godsend) – as Neil McCauley.
Val Kilmer (Top Gun, Willow, True Romance, Tombstone, Batman Forever, The Saint) – as Chris Shiherlis
Tom Sizemore (Lock up, Born on the fourth of July, Point Break, Passenger 57, True Romance, Natural Born Killers, Saving Private Ryan, Pearl Harbour, Black Hawk Down) – as Michael Cheritto.
John Voight (Deliverance – please rate my review on Deliverance at http://www.ciao.co.uk/Deliverance__Review_5412854 , Mission Impossible, Anaconda, Enemy of the State, Pearl Harbour) – as Nate.
Danny Trejo (From Dusk Till Dawn 1, 2 and 3 – Please rate my review of From Dusk Till Dawn 3 at http://www.ciao.co.uk/From_Dusk_Till_Dawn_3_The_Hangman_s_Daughter__Review_5413935, Con Air, Desperado) – as Trejo.
The movie was filmed in LA.
Like the running time, the certificate of the film varies on what country you buy from, in the UK it is a 15, in the U.S.A. it’s a rated R and in Ireland and 18.
Heat is considered to be a Crime/Drama, but still is very exciting.
Heat took more than a year to write and plan by Michael Mann, he wrote this in the mid eighties but it was filmed only in the small space between February and July in 1995. Funnily enough, Mr Mann had already made cheap TV version of Heat before he made the 1995 version, it was titled ‘LA Takedown’.
Dante Spinoti beautifully did the Cinematographer of the film.
The shootout outside the bank robbery is considered to be the most exciting action scene, ever to be captured on film.
Heat did not win any Oscars, but was nominated for best sound design; Heat has excellent sound quality even though no sound stages were used.
My Evaluation
Heat is defiantly rated up in my top ten films, along with True Romance, From Dusk Till Dawn, The Last Samurai and more.
It was superbly filmed, sounded, casted, edited – It was superbly everything.
A definite masterpiece, that should not be overlooked as one of the best films ever made. The Heat DVD that I purchased a few months ago however, is not that impressive, it has a still menu, not trailer, no special features, just the film, scene selection and audio options (it is compatible with DB surround sound).
Nevertheless, Heat is perfect DVD material, giving over perfect picture and sound quality.
Like I mentioned earlier, if you were planning on getting the film on DVD soon, I would wait for a few months, as the special edition will be out shortly. What else can I say? If you haven’t seen it – see it, it is worth watching, and if you are a Pacino and De Niro fan, their performances will not let you down!
A good, good film and since it I have not seen any better casting in a film or any better shootout scene as the unforgettable bank scene.
Thank you for reading my review, if you do not think it was up to ‘exceptional’ standards, please inform me why not – so I can improve in my future reviews. Thank You.
Advantages: Michael Mann's greatest achievement Disadvantages: No extras on the DVD
...action is the juice."
Heat is a cat and mouse game that functions on many levels. Hanna and McCauley circle around each other as hunter and prey although it's never clear which is which. But if you have any kind of love of the movies of the past 30 years, you cannot watch Heat without being aware of another angle. Al Pacino is Hanna. Robert De Niro is McCauley. This is the first and, to date, the last time these titans of the cinema have shared ... ...and part of what makes Heat much more than an action movie.
Hanna: You know, we are sitting here, you and I, like a couple of regular fellas. You do what you do, and I do what I gotta do. And now that we've been face to face, if I'm there and I gotta put you away, I won't like it. But I tell you, if it's between you and some poor bastard whose wife you're gonna turn into a widow, brother, you are going down. McCauley: There is a flip side to that ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: Superb attention to detail; milestone in acting; stylish and authentic; intense, deep and complex Disadvantages: Mann's style not for everyone; arguably disappointing climax
...a film of the night, Heat is a film of the day, and both films match up to each other in terms of the thoroughly absorbing L.A atmosphere Mann so masterfully brings to life. However, the comparison between the two films is that Heat is on the bigger scale, perfectly made, detailed, stylish and thorough. This is perfection by Michael Mann, where he's doing what he does best; compelling, character-driven crime epics. Remade from his 1989 film, L.A ... ...yet. Amidst the crime in Heat is an underlying range of interwoven sub-plots, including Hanna's own marriage problems, to McCauley's bond with a woman he meets, to a psychopathic ex-colleague of McCauley reaping havoc. It all ties in, and contributes beautifully to the story, and the ultimate climax. It's not just a story driven by its plot, but goes for a rich combination of both character and story. In the end, not a detail is missed, everything ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: Great Performances, Engrossing Style & Story Disadvantages: None
...was the initial buzz. But Heat is much more than that. It's a fantastic character study of two men effectively just doing their jobs and sticking to a code. Mann's script crackles with some pulsating dialogue of which the Coffee Shop scene is king. But aside from that Mann shows the smart side of crime. A large part of the film shows the planning of a bank score and it's fascinating stuff. Aside from Pacino and De Niro, there is a strong supporting ... ...and beautifully played out.
Heat is one of those films that pushes close to three hours but all the time you never realize it. That's because it's incredibly engrossing and pushes all the right buttons. After ten years it still remains as fresh as ever. If you have never seen it then I implore you to track it down at the next available opportunity.
-"WHO? WHO? WHAT ARE YOU, A F**KING OWL?"-
Heat was originally released a few years back in a movie-only ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: Intelligent and stylish action romp Disadvantages: None
...and intense action scenes makes Heat unmissable. Based on Michael Mann's 80's TV film 'LA Takedown', Heat is a true rarity, it combines a crime thriller with equal measures of action and drama. At nearly three hours long, Heat is not a film for impatient viewers, instead it qualifies as an epic.
Written and directed by Michael Mann (Miami Vice, The Last Of The Mohicans, Manhunter, The Insider) Heat is more than a 'Los Angeles Crime Saga' it's an ... ...Heat is an intelligent character driven crime drama, which pits an obsessed homicide detective against an elusive criminal. These main protagonists are played by Al Pacino and Robert De Niro - the first film in which these two actors, arguably the two greatest actors of their generation, appear on film together. The tense screenplay and depth of the characters results in some of the most memorable scenes ever to grace the big screen.
From the opening ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: Direction, Performances, the action Disadvantages: pace not too steady, but still good fun, bit long
Heat sees Robert De Niro and Al Pacino square off, making this movie sizzle with great excitement. Written and directed by Michael Man ("The Insider", "Ali") this film goes into the realms of a modern masterpiece.
Heat is based on a simple concept of cops and robbers. Robert De Niro plays the master thief with a motly crew in the form of Val Kilmer ("Red Planet"), Tom Sizemore ("Saving Private Ryan") and Denis Haysbert ("24 television series").
... ...especially when people may consider Heat to be a dumb action flick but it honestly isn't, trust me.
The surporting cast all have there moments too; Tom Sizemore, Ashly Judd, Jon Voight and Natalie Portman all perform well and do the main cast justice.
Al Pacino is fantastic as awlays being the smart detective who's one step behind the equally smat and impressive De Niro.
Director Michael Man is a genius with the camara giving this world of cops ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: non stop action Disadvantages: violence/ strong language
...Heat is probably one of the best cops and robbers films ever made and fans of the film will tell you they have watched it dozens of times like me. Director Michael Mann is no stranger to crime films as he has been involved with CSI and Miami Vice.
Robert De Niro and Al Pacino star and are supported by a dozen good actors in the supporting cast including Val Klimer.
The film opens with the carrying out of a violent armed robbery by Neil MaCCauleys gang(Robert De Niro). The robbery goes wrong and and the gaurds are shot to remove witnesses. The gang get away with
bearer bonds used by a crooked banker to launder drug money.
MacCauley blames gang member Waingrove for the robbery going wrong and tries to kill him.
Tough cop Al Pacino is soon on his trail. He is also investigating a series of murders of prostitutes (this later turns out...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Advantages: Superb acting and beautiful cinematography Disadvantages: I didn't want the film to end!
...CAST AND CREW
Heat and Dust is a Merchant Ivory production and stars Julie Christie, Shashi Kapoor, Greta Scacchi, Christoper Cazenove, Madhur Jaffrey, Zakhir Hussain, Charles McCaughan, Nickolas Grace, Julian Glover, Susan Fleetwood, Patrick Godfrey, Jennifer Kendal and Barry Foster.
Produced by Ismail Merchant and directed by James Ivory this film was released in 1983 and is rated as a 15 (as there some sex scenes not suitable for younger viewers). The film is based on a novel by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala and runs for 130 minutes. The photography was by Walter Lassally with music direction by Richard Robbins.
PLOT TEASER
Anne (Christie) goes to India to find out more about her great aunt Olivia's (Scacchi) disgraced past in India. She moves in with an Indian family and get alongs with them all, especially the man of the house...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: De Niro and Pacino together Disadvantages: would have liked more focus on the main characters
...Robert De Niro and Al Pacino are two of my all time favourite actors, so getting the chance too see them act alongside each other was an opportunity I was not going to miss out on.
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Plot Outline
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Al Pacino plays Vincent Hanna, a top L.A detective. Robert De Niro plays Neil McCauley, a cunning, professional thief.
McCauley has pulled off many high-tech robberies with amazing success which has now grabbed the attention of top detective Vincent Hanna, whose obsession with his work is driven by no expense to his own private life.
McCauley lives by one motto, which inevitably is the key to his success thus far, that being 'become attached to nothing in life that you can't walk away from if the "Heat" is on'.
Now McCauley wants too pull off one more big high-tech robbery, and move on with his life...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
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17.09.2007
13.03.2006
