Heat

Around the 1930s, cinema introduced film noir and with it came a number of highly acclaimed crime films including the original version of Scarface, The Public Enemy and Little Caesar, which have led to thousands of various iterations since then with mixed results. Some fall foul of clichés whereas others, such as the 1983 remake of Scarface and more recently with Martin Scorsese's The Irishman, have managed to breath new life into the genre. Michael Mann tried to do something similar with the cops-and-crooks 1989 TV pilot L.A. Takedown which didn't exactly work out but it did give us the 1995 neo-noir crime thriller, Heat. 

Taking themes and even character names from his unsuccessful show, Heat stars Al Pacino as the larger-than-life, unhinged Lt. Vincent Hanna on the hunt for a far more subdued Robert De Niro and his crew of professional thieves who are starting to feel the "heat" from the police as they prepare for their next big heist. This concept has been done before and other films, such as Den of Thieves, would try to do it again but Mann finds a way to keep this near three hour crime epic sharply paced and very, very engaging.

Instead of the detective pursuit we've seen in the likes of The Departed, Heat is more of a character study making its two morally grey leads both protagonists. I'd hardly be breaking new ground to say how great Pacino and De Niro are throughout but they really do make the film become more than its initially simple premise. The supporting cast is also rich with famous names with the likes of Val Kilmer, Jon Voight, Tom Sizemore, Danny Trejo, Ashley Judd and a young Natalie Portman who are all terrific in this self dubbed "Los Angeles Crime Saga".

Combined with Mann's directing, who is on his finest form right here, and a talented crew behind the scenes make this one of the best films from America. Mann is a master of action and when it comes to the shootouts, it's truly thrilling to witness as are the quieter moments when he builds the drama and also gives time to develop the characters. Watching today the film hasn't aged at all with just the exception of the technology which adds a certain charm to the film. A product of its time in this regard? Maybe. Dated? Not at all. 

If I could make any critique it would just be with a few minor scenes that pad the film out when cutting them wouldn't impact the main story. There are also a few character decisions in the supporting cast that could have benefited from a bit more development but at the end of the day these are just minor blips in an otherwise stellar experience. 

There is so much that has already been said about Heat and why it is truly a great film, which was criminally overlooked come the award season. However, I can say it is a crime film executed perfectly and so satisfying to watch that it gets better on repeat viewings. Mann would go on to make a number of other great films but this is surely his very best and is well worth your time.