Heat

 

Gillipedia Official Rating: I want someone to take Al Pacino saying, “Bam!” and cut it into a cooking video like Emeril Lagasse seasoning food.

Score: 9/10

          I feel late to this party, but boy am I just happy to show up. I almost gave this film an 8 because there’s a couple elements that don’t come together, but the level of filmmaking and acting displayed here excels this film past so many others that it absolutely deserves the above 9. Writer/director Michael Mann doesn’t come out with too much, but he’s known for hard-hitting action dramas dealing with some form of criminals (first example that comes to mind is Tom Cruise’s villainous turn in Collateral). And Heat was heavily marketed as a Pacino/De Niro showdown, and it lives up to that name.

          We’re introduced to our main players from the start and their living situations in just a couple minutes of the 3-hour runtime before quickly moving on to the first heist that De Niro and his crew pull off. It’s hard to describe exactly how Mann pulls it off, but the combination of these professional criminals working their craft and it feeling authentic, to the combination of well-used wide shots to show us the surroundings and the close-ups of our main characters throws us into this world, grips us, and refuses to let go. And I’ll go ahead and mention this now: if you’re wondering about how the tone of the film feels, it didn’t take long for me to feel like I was watching the inspiration for Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight—in particular, the opening bank robbery scene. And I didn’t know it at the time, but I will pat myself on the back because after a bit of research, Nolan does describe this as one of his favorite films and indeed an inspiration to his film.

          I feel like the difference between films I gave high praise to versus those I was more critical of in the past year was all about the emotional connection to the characters. And luckily, this long film isn’t just filled with fluff. The action is tense, but it’s the hardships of life surrounding our characters that draws us in. De Niro has been successful in what he does his entire life in part to his standoffish style and willingness to do what is necessary for the job at hand; but when he meets a young, attractive woman that he takes a liking to, how can he keep the two worlds separate? The demolitions and basically right-hand man to De Niro is Val Kilmer, and his relationship with his wife and child is currently heated, but there is still love there. On the flip side, Al Pacino is a veteran detective that has trouble sharing the burdens of his work with his wife, and that has put a strain on their relationship. It’s within these relationships where the film is both crafted well while also missing just a mark or two.

          As the film moves along, De Niro talks with Jon Voight about another score—of course, it’s one of those career-enders, the big bucks, the big kahuna, enough dough to retire, the end all be all, the big cheese, the butter poached lobster, the final axe to grind, the—

          The first heist was successful, but just a couple small moments start to add up as Pacino and his detectives start to put the pieces together on who’s behind the crimes. The LAPD is putting more heat on De Niro, but there’s almost this sense of pride of “You think you can catch me? You think you’re better at what you do than what I do? Then c’mon, give me your best shot.” De Niro has gone his career knowing when to step away when the heat is too much, but as the draws of perhaps a simpler life with his newfound love toil in his mind, he has to make decision on if this final job is worth all the heat, but also if riding off into the sunset into retirement is truly the end goal. Because this is the only life that he knows and what he’s good at. And again, it’s going to take Pacino’s full efforts to try to stop De Niro, but is the job worth the turmoil it’s causing his marriage?

          The beauty of the above questions is yes, there’s plenty of scenes of dialogue, but the true reason this movie earns its ratings is what is said between the lines. I’m thinking this movie was overlooked at the award shows at the time due to being an action film, but I’m telling you the acting here is powerful. Pacino is over-the-top in the best ways that he pulls off, but the way De Niro exhibits his control and power over people with simply a look is so good. It takes gravitas for the commanding presence he has, and it’s a powerhouse to behold. There’s a famous scene in a café where Pacino and De Niro see each other face-to-face for the first time and essentially tell each other that they will both stop at nothing to get the job done. And with it being such a long movie, I was eating dinner at the time, and you better believe even though I was mid-bite, my eyes stayed glued to the screen for the entirety of that scene. Scarlet Johansson could've been in the same room trying to entice me with free tubs of Chick-fil-A sauce, and it wouldn't have mattered; there is nothing that could've prevented me from being spellbound by the acting on display. The way they emote so much without having to say a word is incredible, but it also helps that the dialogue is classic. My favorite line had to be when De Niro is on the phone with William Fichtner who was even in that opening bank robbery of The Dark Knight and made the mistake of double crossing De Niro, where De Niro then delivers the lines, “What am I doing? I’m talking to an empty telephone… Cause there’s a dead man on the other end of this f*ckin line.”

          And it’s not just our three main guys in this film—everybody is in this movie. A tween Natalie Portman, Ted Levine basically playing the character he would recurringly play on Monk, Tom Sizemore, Wes Studi, Danny Trejo, Dennis Haysbert (the All State guy), and Hank Azaria. It’s an all star cast that I thoroughly enjoy, but it leads into my criticism that there’s just one too many subplots in the film. De Niro, Pacino, and Kilmer all deal with their own troubles outside of their work, and while most of it works thematically, there’s even a late subplot involving Portman (who plays Pacino’s step-daughter) that feels thrown in more than anything. Also, I’m sorry, but De Niro’s love interest is just too young for him and I never fully got behind the romance there. I’ll defend the film for most of its runtime, but it could be tightened up just a bit—even 15 minutes cut out would be enough.

          Once we get to the climactic bank robbery and the subsequent and inevitable Pacino/De Niro showdown, I am fully invested. There’s not much dialogue, but the action and the directing speak for themselves. The score of the film perfectly fits every scene, and this film should ultimately be a blueprint for many other films if they too would like to succeed just like The Dark Knight. This is a classic film for a reason, and if you’re looking for a heavy drama with gritty action mixed in, Heat gets my high recommendation.