Allow me to be absolutely frank, 'HEAT' is a straight up 'cop and crook' crime story with the usual tale of personal conflicts, morality between wrong and right, good cop married to the job and crooks who elevate their profession to the equivalent of a Phd title. Throw in the obligatory love interest / action scenes and it would seem like just another roll out crime story from Hollywood - done to death!
So what does HEAT possess that sets it apart?
For a start, it pips together for the first time, two of the greatest actors to have graced the movie screens this century - Robert De Niro and Al Pacino. They had shared their name and scene in the same movie before, but had never acted together. It also brings to you a stellar cast which include Val Kilmer, Tom Sizemore, Ashley Judd, Jon Voigt, Amy Brenneman and Natalie Portman. It also has much action and one hell of a shoot out scene.
THE STORYBOARD
Al Pacino plays Lt. Vincent Hanna, a Los Angeles homicide cop who is married to his job and nursing a strained relationship with his estranged wife and their teenage daughter. Robert De Niro plays Neil McCauley, a professional thief who takes his job seriously and although tries very hard not to court violence, well, unnecessary violence but when confronted or provoked, is never reluctant to engage and kill. He remains unattached to anything and famously advices to his partner in crime Chris Shiherlis (played by Val Kilmer) - "don't let yourself get attached to anything you are not willing to walk out on in 30 seconds flat, if you feel the heat around the corner".
WHAT UNFOLDS
The movie is set in Los Angeles against the back drop of an era that typically elevated the landscape of an American Dream slowly eroding. The authorities at the time, were usually playing a cat and mouse game as criminals were better equipped, organised and well executed. Lt.Vincent Hanna is typically the dedicated work horse homicide cop out to catch the crew that gunned down - assassination style, three of the armoured truck security guards during a botched hold-up to procure specifically a shipment of bonds, as instructed by their 'agent' (played by Jon Voigt). Little does the crew and McCauley know that the client, as it turns out, is about to double cross and not pay for the job. Worst, the thieving client Roger Van Zant (played by William Fichtner) decides to hire some hands and lay an ambush to kill McCauley and Chris. To make matters worse for McCauley, the trigger happy new member of his crew Waingro (played by Kevin Gage,) responsible for needlessly killing the security guards earlier, manages to escape just as McCauley tries to get rid of him.
Lt. Hanna by now has the investigation in full swing and soon tracks the heist job to McCauley's crew. He steps up the surveillance but in doing so, McCauley is triggered to the 'surveillance' and thus, the cat and mouse game begins. The story interlaces between the main characters of Pacino and De Niro and their love interest and that of Val Kilmer as well, who is equally breeding marital issues with his wife, played by Ashley Judd. De Niro starts a romantic relationship with Amy Brennan, who plays a writer, whom he meets at a restaurant. Lt. Hanna has to confront his estranged wife who feels neglected and their teenage daughter who feels estranged and neglected, prompting her to slit her wrists in his bathroom.
Roger Van Zant, now feels the full extent of McCauley's reputation and grows paranoid and orders his men to terminate McCauley and his crew, at any cost. Waingro, rejuvenated with the ally that he has found in Van Zant, feels that he owes McCauley a death wish and proposes to Van Zant that he will terminate McCauley for a lucrative fee.
So, as the movie approaches the final thirty minutes, the viewer will find that the entire build-up of the characters in the movie are all furiously being propped up for the climax. By now, McCauley realises that the 'heat' is getting far too dangerous and has to make a series of decisions that would change his entire plan. In doing so and with his commitment now torn between that of his recently found love, McCauley reluctantly agrees to do one last job so that he and Amy Brennan could go away together and attempt to start a new clean life.
We finally arrive to a series of showdowns which culminate between McCauley and Van Zant, Lt. Hanna and his wife, McCauley and Amy Brennan, McCauley and Waingro and finally McCauley and Lt. Hanna. The showdowns all interlaced and ultimately building to the final showdown of the two main characters.
WHY WATCH
Midway in the movie, Micheal Mann gives us the most thrilling shoot out scene ever to be filmed. I mean, for me, it has to be THE all time shoot out scene and I dare say, it still is! The only other shoot out scene to even come close to overthrowing the posthumous accolades is from the movie 'Kingdom', at least in my opinion. The shootout begins at the doorstep of a bank and spills over onto the streets of downtown Los Angeles and thru the busy walkways of a nearby mart. The artillery cache and the intensity captured during filming of the scenes are phenomonal and the musical score accompannying simply blows the viewers away. I guarantee you that you would reach for the rewind button at least, twice.
With such a masterfully crafted shootout scene midway, this could only mean that the final showdown has now to outdo the entire build-up to its climax, and this where the movie sort of fizzles out. The climax turns out, in all expectations, to be really an anti-climax for me. But quite realistically, i suppose it would have to be something immensely spectacular to try and upheave the shootout scene earlier.
Still, this is one of the cop-crook movies that I could still put on and watch (even if just for that shoot-out scene)…..
Rating : 6.5 / 10
So what does HEAT possess that sets it apart?
For a start, it pips together for the first time, two of the greatest actors to have graced the movie screens this century - Robert De Niro and Al Pacino. They had shared their name and scene in the same movie before, but had never acted together. It also brings to you a stellar cast which include Val Kilmer, Tom Sizemore, Ashley Judd, Jon Voigt, Amy Brenneman and Natalie Portman. It also has much action and one hell of a shoot out scene.
 |
| A scene from the armoured truck heist |
THE STORYBOARD
Al Pacino plays Lt. Vincent Hanna, a Los Angeles homicide cop who is married to his job and nursing a strained relationship with his estranged wife and their teenage daughter. Robert De Niro plays Neil McCauley, a professional thief who takes his job seriously and although tries very hard not to court violence, well, unnecessary violence but when confronted or provoked, is never reluctant to engage and kill. He remains unattached to anything and famously advices to his partner in crime Chris Shiherlis (played by Val Kilmer) - "don't let yourself get attached to anything you are not willing to walk out on in 30 seconds flat, if you feel the heat around the corner".
 |
| Amy Brennan plays Robert De Niro's love interest |
 |
| Jon Voigt and Robert DeNiro |
WHAT UNFOLDS
The movie is set in Los Angeles against the back drop of an era that typically elevated the landscape of an American Dream slowly eroding. The authorities at the time, were usually playing a cat and mouse game as criminals were better equipped, organised and well executed. Lt.Vincent Hanna is typically the dedicated work horse homicide cop out to catch the crew that gunned down - assassination style, three of the armoured truck security guards during a botched hold-up to procure specifically a shipment of bonds, as instructed by their 'agent' (played by Jon Voigt). Little does the crew and McCauley know that the client, as it turns out, is about to double cross and not pay for the job. Worst, the thieving client Roger Van Zant (played by William Fichtner) decides to hire some hands and lay an ambush to kill McCauley and Chris. To make matters worse for McCauley, the trigger happy new member of his crew Waingro (played by Kevin Gage,) responsible for needlessly killing the security guards earlier, manages to escape just as McCauley tries to get rid of him.
 |
| The shoot-out scene which viewers will want to rewind |
Roger Van Zant, now feels the full extent of McCauley's reputation and grows paranoid and orders his men to terminate McCauley and his crew, at any cost. Waingro, rejuvenated with the ally that he has found in Van Zant, feels that he owes McCauley a death wish and proposes to Van Zant that he will terminate McCauley for a lucrative fee.
So, as the movie approaches the final thirty minutes, the viewer will find that the entire build-up of the characters in the movie are all furiously being propped up for the climax. By now, McCauley realises that the 'heat' is getting far too dangerous and has to make a series of decisions that would change his entire plan. In doing so and with his commitment now torn between that of his recently found love, McCauley reluctantly agrees to do one last job so that he and Amy Brennan could go away together and attempt to start a new clean life.
 |
| The showdown between Al Pacino and Robert De Niro over a cup of coffee |
WHY WATCH
Midway in the movie, Micheal Mann gives us the most thrilling shoot out scene ever to be filmed. I mean, for me, it has to be THE all time shoot out scene and I dare say, it still is! The only other shoot out scene to even come close to overthrowing the posthumous accolades is from the movie 'Kingdom', at least in my opinion. The shootout begins at the doorstep of a bank and spills over onto the streets of downtown Los Angeles and thru the busy walkways of a nearby mart. The artillery cache and the intensity captured during filming of the scenes are phenomonal and the musical score accompannying simply blows the viewers away. I guarantee you that you would reach for the rewind button at least, twice.
With such a masterfully crafted shootout scene midway, this could only mean that the final showdown has now to outdo the entire build-up to its climax, and this where the movie sort of fizzles out. The climax turns out, in all expectations, to be really an anti-climax for me. But quite realistically, i suppose it would have to be something immensely spectacular to try and upheave the shootout scene earlier.
Still, this is one of the cop-crook movies that I could still put on and watch (even if just for that shoot-out scene)…..
 |
| Spectacular ammunition firing scene where even the echo of a gun firing is projected |
Rating : 6.5 / 10
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