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'Heat' is a cool crime drama
CNN - December 16, 1995
By Movie Reviewer Carol Buckland
(CNN) -- While Oscar winners Robert De Niro and Al Pacino co-starred in "The Godfather, Part II," they never appeared on
screen at the same time. As anyone who's seen the trailer knows, that situation is rectified in "Heat."
Two of the world's finest film actors finally get a chance to square off. But you have to wait for it.
"Heat" is a stunningly effective piece of movie making from writer-director Michael Mann. After a brief but highly successful
foray into costume drama with "The Last of the Mohicans," he's back into contemporary crime territory. Given his credits,
"Miami Vice," "The Jericho Mile," "Thief," and "Manhunter," you'd have to say it's a slice of life he seems to know very well.
"Heat," however, goes way beyond anything Mann has done before. It's epic, yet intensely human.
The story line is basic cops versus robbers, but it's enriched with complex characterizations, (even walk-ons seem impeccably
cast and adroitly observed) and knock-out visuals.
On the "wrong" side of the law is a stone-cold professional criminal named Neil McCauley. He's a planner. A loner. A
near-genius at what he does. Although he's close to his "crew," the gang he stages heists with, he believes survival depends on
being prepared to walk away from anything or anyone on 30 seconds notice if the "heat" gets too intense.
De Niro plays this part with masterful intelligence. His McCauley is quietly compelling, almost gentle, at moments. But he's fully
capable of pitiless brutality and murder.
On McCauley's trail is a brilliantly intuitive cop named Vincent Hanna. Hanna, like his quarry, is terrific at
his job. But his passion for the hunt has wrecked his personal life. He's on his third marriage, which
includes a deeply disturbed step-daughter, and it's a mess.
Al Pacino is remarkable in this role. Academy Award notwithstanding, I thought he was way over the
top in "Scent of a Woman." This time out, though, all his flamboyant mannerisms and his "acting" acting
works perfectly. He's fierce. He's funny. He's viciously focused.
Without giving a lot away, let me say that the first scene in which Pacino and De Niro finally go face-to-face is a classic of acting
and directorial restraint. It's in a coffee shop. No bang-bang. No boom-boom. Just two edgy guys who have taken each other's
measure and end up talking about their lives and the work they do. It's casual, yet crackling with tension.
With star power like this, some directors might have stinted on the supporting cast. Not so Michael Mann.
Val Kilmer is a standout. He plays Chris Shiherlis, a key member of McCauley's crew. While he's not exactly a "son" to
McCauley, the two clearly have a special relationship. Chris is addicted to gambling. He's also crazy about his wife, whose
offhand infidelity becomes a tool Vincent Hanna uses to break the crew apart.
Ashley Judd (who was so impressive in her film debut, "Ruby in Paradise") is Chris' unhappy spouse, Charlene. It's a
by-the-numbers part in some ways, but she gives it a special spin. Her Charlene is a smart, scrappy survivor.
Diane Venora (you may remember her as Chan Parker in "Bird") is excellent as Pacino's character's troubled and troubling wife,
Justine. Mann shrewdly introduces her character -- and Pacino's -- in a bed scene. The sexual sparks fire off the screen. Out of
bed, though, these two have little if anything in common.
If there's a problematic plot component in this film, it's McCauley's romance with an innocent bookstore clerk named Eady,
played by Amy Brenneman. For her, McCauley is tempted to break his loner's code. While Brenneman's tender manner and
delicate beauty make the attraction understandable -- I never totally bought her foolish response to McCauley. Nor could I see
why she seemed so "special" to McCauley.
I could go on and on about the secondary characters in "Heat," but (you will be glad to hear) I won't. Suffice to say, there are a
lot of gems in this movie.
Director Mann uses Los Angeles brilliantly, shooting it like an icy jewel at night, letting the seedier aspects reveal themselves in
the daylight. He also delivers some of the best crime-action scenes you're likely to see this or any year.
A warning, though. Sequences in this film are in-your-face violent. Mann never uses a few bullets when he can opt for an entire
clip from a sub-machine gun. One responsible thing: he does emphasize the brutal and bloody consequences of violence. This is
not "cartoony" shoot-em-up. There's no glory for anybody.
Bleak in attitude (this is not a flick to put you in the holiday spirit) and nearly three hours in length, "Heat" is going to be a hard
sell for casual audiences. But it's a must-see for serious moviegoers.
"Heat" is rated R. Some of the language is profane. There are several adult sexual situations and a rather graphic
aftermath-of-a-suicide scene. And, as I mentioned, there is a lot of violence.
Copyright © 1995 Cable News Network. All rights reserved.
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