Heat
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Movie Reviews of Heat
Movie Review: Heat review
Summary: 5 Stars
This movie is quite simply in the top 5 of the best all time movies in my opinion.Movie Review: Great Action Movie
Summary: 5 Stars
This movie is a great action movie, with great acting !! De Niro and Pacino rock !!Movie Review: The hour of the Mann...
Summary: 4 Stars
`Heat' is lauded as one of the greatest crime epics ever; a triumph of acting, directing and screen writing. I personally wasn't able to see this film for the longest time. I guess I shouldn't say `wasn't able'; I just never got around to it. Finally, after all the poking and prodding from friends, I sat down to digest this supposed masterpiece and was able to draw my own conclusions on the matter.
Very, very good.
Notice I didn't say masterpiece; but it is very close. I have a few issues with the film, mostly due to some aspects of the script and one particular performance, but for the most part `Heat' is extremely well done. Michael Mann is probably one of our greatest working directors and this is his Mona Lisa. He graciously allows the camera to flow through each scene, collecting important details that not only map out the visual feast of bullets and bodies, but he is delicate enough to allow us to come to know the characters intimately, painting a portrait of reality instead of a collage of carnage. Sure, the films most notable sequence is one of bloodshed (the whole daylight shootout is spectacularly shot) but Mann is equally invested in the homelife of his anti-heroes which only adds layers to the films core.
`Heat' tells the story of master thief Neil McCauley. Neil is on the verge of retirement, but before he slips away he wants to make one more heist. Lt. Vincent Hanna is desperately trying to nail him. The film is basically a game of cat and mouse between thief and cop as they track each other. Mann makes sure to get deep into the heart of both characters, as well as their partners; especially McCauley's right hand man Chris Shiherlis who is having marital problems of his own.
My one issue with the script comes in the form of Eady, the love interest of Neil. I personally found her character arc forced a tad. It felt out of place even though it served as a major plot point in the films finale. It just felt unnecessary to me.
For the most part the acting is superb here. De Niro was still making worthwhile films and delivering within them, so his portrayal of McCauley is the films major highlight. He gives Neil a stark humanity that makes him someone we can relate to and feel for. Val Kilmer does some impressive work (he had such promise) here as Chris, but his scenes are stolen from him by Ashley Judd who is more than phenomenal as his conflicted wife Charlene. Tom Sizemore is always dependable in these type roles, and Diane Verona is flawless as Vincent's bitter wife Justine. That brings me to Pacino. Why does he feel like he has to scream about everything? I mean really, he used to be one of the greatest actors of all time and then it was like all of a sudden he decided that he didn't have to try anymore. He's more than annoying; he's frustrating. There are glimmers here of his natural charm, but he muddles it up by trying to be `larger than life' and he just winds up being `beyond annoying'.
Maybe I'm just picking, but whatever.
Overall the film is a very, very good one; a great one at that. I highly recommend it for the few faults are easily looked over for the many highlights. Michael Mann has crafted a smart and engaging crime epic that is as beautiful as it is enjoyable to watch.
Movie Review: Heat, In Shades of Blue
Summary: 4 Stars
Crime dramas can be tricky to follow. With such depth in plots, I often find myself needing to devote my full attention to understand Law & Order That being said, as tricky as Heat was to follow, Micheal Mann directed a very good film, not excellent, but very good.
Being a cluster of AAA talents in one film, all played their roles fantastically. Although, in terms of acting, this is not Scarface meets Batman meets Godfather. None the less, DeNiro, Kilmer and Pachino deliver spot on preformances(although Pachino's fits of rage seemed a tad corny). Mann uses his trademark blue washs constantly, and delivers a deep parrallel on characters and, whether good or bad, humans all are equal.
Although it exceeds too far in length (3 hours), Heat is one of the best crime dramas I have seen. I would not say it is a must see, but for any movie lover, it can provide entertainment for you at face value, with a good dosage of analytical substance
Movie Review: Best Mann movie
Summary: 4 Stars
Heat is a rare masterpiece. Mann tells his stories in such a unique and captivating manner. Heat is a movie with a somewhat implausible storyline, that is told with incredible realism. Every event in this movie is shown with such detail and with such a realistic, "in your face" feel, that every one of it's 3 hrs is intriguing. Maybe this is just one of those movies that only select few are going to enjoy, but I think it's incredible, with excellent performances by Pacino, de Niro, and a young Portman. (alright, her performance isn't anything special, but she is.) Each actor shows us a unique and believable individual, which is what should happen. At the very least, the shootout in L.A. is one of the best of it's kind in any movie, at least that I've seen. These are my thoughts on one of the best movies ever made.