Review 782: Heat

There is a scene about an hour and a half into Heat, Michael Mann's gripping crime drama, that encapsulates this films subject matter beautifully. LAPD detective Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino) has been on the tail of professional thief Neil McCauley (Robert DeNiro) for some time. Then one evening, he approaches McCauley after tailing his car that evening and asks him "What do you say I buy you a cup of coffee?" and McCauley accepts.

The two men sit across from each other in the diner. They both know yet they both show a mutual respect for one another. Talking about how impressed they are by each other’s work. They what’s good and what’s bad It's this level of nuance that Mann lives for. Whereas other films in this genre would going shootouts and big explosions, Mann goes for something much more restrained. 

In the wake of a precision heist of an armoured truck, obsessive detective Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino) begins to hunt ruthless, professional thief Neil McCauley (Robert DeNiro) through the streets of Los Angeles. As the stakes escalate, their lives begin to mirror and unravel and McCauley's crew initiates its most dangerous and complex heist.

The film is a big screen remake of a television film that Mann made in 1989 titled L.A. Takedown which was shot as a pilot for show on NBC which never got picked up. That was clearly a trial run and this is the real deal.

McCauley is a professional thief, skilled, wary and   while Pacino's Hanna is what's known as a Robbery Homicide which is part of the "Death Squad" which is the tactical detective and surveillance unit of the LAPD.

The other problem that Hanna has to deal with is his stepdaughter Lauren (Natalie Portman fresh off of Leon: The Professional) 

Thematically, Heat is about the thin line between love and hate - the cop and their prey are two sides of the same coin. 

Mann skilfully embues each scene with a sense of tension as if something bad could happen to one of our characters at any point. Vincent is going as quickly as he can, following numerous leads, talking to informants and trying to catch up with Neil as soon as possible whereas Neil is much more methodical and takes his time whilst planning his next heist. One character is going faster than the other which helps To build that tension.  

The score by Elliot Goldenthal  the cinematography is fantastic, making excellent usage of both practical and natural lighting lending the films tones of atmosphere. It captures the   L.A.  making the location feel like a character itself. It also represents Destiny  The colour blue is used to symbolise introspection and McCauley longing for family.

With a runtime of 171 minutes, Heat does drag in spots, feels overlong and while surely try audiences patience because it is deliberately paced with a lot of focus on the aftermath of a heist and planning of future ones but  

Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro are splendid in their roles. These are two acting icons staring in a high stakes heist film. The characters of Vincent Hanna and Neil McCauley are world apart - they’re on opposite sides of the law. Whereas Neil is able to keep his cool and stay calm and collected, Vince is almost the polar opposite; he drives fast, takes risks, yells and is aggressive. There are moments where I honestly wasn’t quite sure who to root for because both men are portrayed in a somewhat positive light. These are two characters with everything to gain but also everything to loose.

Vincent, on the other hand, is unsatisfied with his family life and the one thing that he seems to have any interest for is his work. But even that can be unfulfilling because he feels that he’s above everyone else.