Heat (Widescreen)

 

 

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What a superb study of characters and relationships. Michael Mann, the director, does it with his recognizable signature style and poignancy. (The ways he brings music/sound to his movies are unique and superior; but that is another topic..).

Let me state clearly, I am a huge fan of both DeNiro and Pacino. (OK, truth is, I will never bypass watching a DeNiro film, but have not always been as compelled to watch Pacino, even when it was free..). At first when I heard they were going to be playing 'against' each other, I felt uneasy. That uneasiness is one of the many experiences which makes this hero-less storyline, a fantastic piece of work.

Everyone, even those who may play a minor part in your life, has a long and deep story of his/her own. Obvious, right? But how often do we remember or realize that? For lack of a better example, say, if you crossed paths with a complete stranger and feel s/he was rude; and decide to retaliate... How many times do you really think/realise that stranger has a rich history just like yours, in terms of depth? Doesn't mean the stranger wasn't indeed rude..

'Heat' brings the historical depths of its characters to the fore which leads to the uneasiness, which the audience is forced to not ignore.

To name a few:

1) Newcomer 'Waingro', having spent most of his life in jail, without choice, brought his untamed prison-mentality to the game. -- Can't help but pity him; Can't help but being angry at his disregard for the serious consequences of his actions.

2) Val Kilmer - is serially unfaithful, yet we KNOW he loves his wife.

3) Ashley Judd - puts the love for her family first, yet is unfaithful to her husband

4) Diane Venora - is the self-proclaimed victim of spousal neglect, yet takes measured steps to make sure her husband KNOWS she is consequently unfaithful

5) Al Pacino - is a lousy husband, yet cries when confronted with the sight of crime victims.

6) Robert DeNiro - is as coldhearted as they come, yet is like a lost soul desperately reaching for 'something else'.

Arguably, DeNiro's character was the least contradictory. And this brings me to one 'flaw' I initially saw -- 'Why did he have to turn that car around to go to the hotel, when he is otherwise portrayed as very smart throughout?' That had made me uneasy. But the portrayal of his invincibility did not stem from his intelligence and street-smarts. Rather, his ego unflinchingly ruled him throughout, to his detriment.

These are miniscule examples of the brilliance of Michael Mann's work here. There are no single-dimensional characters. There are no clear-cut heroes. Both Pacino and DeNiro can only be 'alone' -- no choice. All the main characters are, in fact, alone. Uneasy. Brilliant.

Since The Godfather Part 2, moviegoers and critics have been asking: Who is the better actor, Pacino or De Niro? It is a question that can never really be answered (although Spinetinglers considers Pacino to be the best!). Everyone who is a lover of contemporary cinema has an opinion. Michael Mann, the director of Heat, gave us a moment that we treasure: these two demigods of cinema meeting on screen for the first and only time, so that people who care about this question can do a direct comparison. The net result of this was, of course, more arguing over who was better. They meet in the oddest of circumstances--a brilliant detective, Vincent (Pacino), is pursuing a brilliant thief, Neil (De Niro). Vincent pulls over Neil's car and asks him for a cup of coffee, Neil accepts, and the pair sit in coffee shop showing us all that neither is intimidated by the other. Pacino brings his own unique style to the scene; he is as erratic and demonstrative as usual. De Niro sits back and underplays the gravitas of what this scene means to film, and what it means to cinema history. Both are superb and neither one leaves the coffee shop being able to convert the diehard Pacino fans or the diehard De Niro fans.

this movie has some of the best acting i've ever seen. the plot is great and the action scenes are also great. the dvd i'm reviewing now lacks extras, but a special edition is supposed to come out later this year. some might not like it being three hours, but i think the three hours i spent watching were well worth it.

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2.0 out of 5 stars ... Come Again?
I'm sorry to all the fans, but I have absolutely no idea why so many people love this movie. I used to always debate with myself what the most overrated movie ever was but when I... Read more

Published 17 months ago by Jimbo Jones

4.0 out of 5 stars Great quality!
This movie is great and it is recommended on blu-ray. The delivery took a bit of time but was well worth it!

Published 18 months ago by Mike

4.0 out of 5 stars One of my favourites
When I first saw Heat years ago I was blown away by the bank robbery sequence. Seeing two powerhouse actors in DeNiro and Pacino go head to head backed by an excellent supporting... Read more

Published on Jan 20 2010 by markpang

3.0 out of 5 stars Transfer to Blu Ray OK
I was a bit disappointed with the transfer to Blu Ray. I am generally finding any films in the 10 year or older range OK at best on Blu Ray as compared to more recently made... Read more

Published on Jan 10 2010 by J. Bowers

3.0 out of 5 stars Traduction francaise
J'avais ce film en format VHS et la je me suis dit qu'il serait temps de l'avoir en DVD le hic est que la traduction en francais est différente de celle de la VHS par... Read more

Published on Jan 1 2010 by Luc Doucet

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazon is the best
I've received all my purchases on time and in great shape.
need I say more!

Published on Sep 14 2009 by dhcalahn

5.0 out of 5 stars "All I am is what I'm going after."
Two men on opposite sides of the law, both loners obsessed by what they do. Two of contemporary cinema's greatest actors, facing off for the first time in their 30+ year-long... Read more

Published on Nov 2 2008 by Themis-Athena

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Character Film Of All Time
'Heat,' a film of epic proportions on a common placed scale, provides all the essentials of a great crime drama and then some. Read more

Published on Nov 14 2007 by Rassool Auckbaraullee

5.0 out of 5 stars An astute drama of the dark world of crime and corruption.
Heat is a great movie. In it we see this crew who score high level burglaries, and the cops who try to stop them. Read more

Published on Aug 19 2007 by Joseph P. Shea

5.0 out of 5 stars Mann At His Peak
Heat...Heat is brilliant. It is worth seeing simply for the fact that it is the only movie in which DeNiro and Pacino share a scene (and, oh boy, what a scene!). Read more

Published on Mar 10 2007 by M. Kennedy

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