Film Heat

[john mason]

This is far and away the best movie I have ever seen. Beware I am a De Niro maniac and I love all his films, but this movie is perfect in so many ways and on so many levels, any true movie lover will forever remember the truly epic experience of watching HEAT. It really is a true movie-lovers movie.

I know there may be "better" movies, but nothing has effected me like this film. The power, emotion, and truth in the film are just... I can't find words. The acting for one is absolutely top notch, De Niro, Pacino, Kilmer, Sizemore, Jon Voight, and Ashley Judd are all at their best in this movie. De Niro's cold professionalism are what I love about his character, Neil McCauley is my all-time favorite movie character. Pacino's character... I hate him with a passion, but his acting is really some of the best in HEAT.

The scene in the diner where Pacino talks to De Niro face to face is the only time they have ever been on scene together in a movie. It's worth seeing for that scene alone, in my opinion.

I cried at the end of the movie, which is extremely rare for me. This film always does it. It's a very powerful ending, but there is so much truth in it. It just makes you sit back and think about everything, and why things are the way they are.

But honestly... I could type for hours and not come close to what I want to express about this movie. Just rent it. NOW. Thank me later.

They just don't make movies like they used to.

 

[L O V E L I F E]

If you are truly a "De Niro maniac," I suggest you rewatch Godfather II before proclaiming this pedestrian action movie the greatest thing he's done.

 

[john mason]

If you truly read my post, I suggest you re-read it before proclaiming that I said HEAT was the best De Niro movie. I don't need to re-watch Godfather II. I know the movie.

I also said that there may be "better" movies, but that nothing affected me like Heat. Your opinion may not be the opinion of everyone... how shocking!

And to degrade Heat to the point of referring to it as a "pedestrian action movie" is simply ignorant. There are only a few scenes of action throughout the whole movie, and they all serve as a crucial and unavoidable part of the story. Heat is NOT an action movie. Crime saga is more like it.

This movie is HUGELY underappreciated and unnoticed as the cinematic masterpiece it is.

 

[Wezzywig]

Heat with Al Pacino and Robert Dinero is an excellent movie and has an amazing soundtrack. Heat starring Burt Reynolds on the other hand is not so spectacular.

I actually live just up the street from the Bob's Big Boy where they meet up with their driver Donald (the short order cook on parole). Whenever we get in from a late night of clubbing we always go to that Bob's just so we can sit in the Heat booth (it has a plaque designating it as such).

Oh and it has one of the most memorable shootouts in movie history. Hell, it was credited with inspiring the real thing several years later in North Hollywood.

 

[john mason]

That's fuckin AWESOME!!!

Yes, I TOTALLY forgot to mention the soundtrack, a masterpiece unto itself. The songs are performed mostly by Kronos quartet, and they really contribute hugely to the movie. I don't think "Heat" would be what it is without the sountrack to go with it. The lonely sounding guitar, and violin ensembles keep the mood throughout the entire movie.

 

[E-llusion]

I love this movie, it's one of my all time favorites. Funny, it never did well in theaters and movies critics were not too fond of it.

It's one of those movies I can watch over and over again (which is very rare for me). De Niro plays his best type of character, cool cold hearted calculated criminal, he is simply excellent. And so is the rest of the cast. Al Pacino does his usual over-the-top acting but it fits his charcater in this movie.

 

[john mason]

I love this movie, it's one of my all time favorites. Funny, it never did well in theaters and movies critics were not too fond of it.

It's one of those movies I can watch over and over again (which is very rare for me). De Niro plays his best type of character, cool cold hearted calculated criminal, he is simply excellent. And so is the rest of the cast. Al Pacino does his usual over-the-top acting but it fits his charcater in this movie.

Yes, I think this sums up two of the main point I was trying to make. The film never got the credit it deserved... for some reason that is beyond me. Michael Mann's directing style is very demanding and he always requires the actors best possible effort. I think one of the things critics didn't like was the length of the film, but personally I think it is totally 100% neccesary to convey the entire story, and develop characters, etc, since this is a very in depth film.

I can watch it time and again as well... I just recently watched the whole thing through again for the first time in a while, and it inspired me to write this post.

As you said, De Niro's character is simply one of his best. Neil's character as a career criminal is very cold hearted, professional and beautifully acted. I think I got my "true image" of De Niro in this movie, it just seem like his most natural role... but he is incredibly versatile in just about everything else I've seen him in, too.

I just can't give Heat enough praise... :D

 

[E-llusion]

^^^

John Mason, there are many themes explored in this movie, and one of the themes that was shown very well (caution: spolier IF YOU READ ON) is the unwritten "criminals code". You know how Deniro wants this to be his last score, his two mottos are

"to pack your bags anytime if there is too much HEAT around the corner"

- Well, he does make a mistake of getting involved with the girl emotionally and it is hard for him to leave, even though she agrees to leave, you can tell by her expression while they are driving to the airport that their relationship would not have a happy ending even if they were succesful in getting away.

the second one , is "evening up the score with a snitch", he could have been on the plane but his gut required him to even up the score with the guy who snitched on them and that is what got him into trouble. Sure he got his revenge BUT it fucked up his chances of getting away.

Anyhow, glad someone else enjoyed this movie as much as I did, most people say it's a "boring action flick" but it's not an action flick AT ALL.

 

[brothermarcus]

this film is one of my favorites, the characters live without you and you've got to give them your own classification. every shot looks good, well-written and delivered by a powerful group of actors... i love this film.

 

[WarmRushes]

I love heat.


It's a remake of LA take down, correct??

It is very emotionally effecting and de niro shines.


I am also very fond of the mega shoot out they have in the street, very realistic and alot more engaging then most action movie shite.

10/10 mate.

 

[john mason]

Definitely... the shootout after the bank robbery is personally my favorite firefight in any movie, the unique thing is that there is no music in the background... it's just the streets of LA and everyone is living life as normal. If you watch carefully, you can see that every time one of them advances, stops to fire at the police etc, they are all covering each other in PERFECT formation, one person is always defending the other 2... this movie was done down to the last detail. I love the expressional on De Niro's face after the driver gets shot and the screen goes into a bluish tint with slow motion to show De Niro raising his assault rifle up to the front windshield and start unloading at the police blockade ahead.

Incredibly surreal, and even more surreal was when real people decided to rob a bank in almost an identical fashion as in Heat, and there ended up being a HUGE battle between the robbers and the police.

The police didn't even have powerful enough weapons to pierce through the heavy ass head-to-toe armor they were wearing. Seriously... I've seen the video's of it... it's fucking nuts. They fought for a long time, and I heard the LAPD had to burst in on a local gunstore and take all their powerful shit off the wall to stop them. That, and I think they were almost out of ammo. These guys were definitely the real deal!!

 

[haste]

I love the movie Heat - but then again I'm a Pacino whore

Its a shame there hasn't been more instances of De Niro and Pacino together in the same film - that scene of the two of them at the diner sent chills up my spine - brilliant

 

[alasdairm]

If you watch carefully, you can see that every time one of them advances, stops to fire at the police etc, they are all covering each other in PERFECT formation, one person is always defending the other 2... this movie was done down to the last detail.

andy mcnabb (ex-SAS and author of various books including 'bravo two zero') was a consultant on the movie.

i'm told that he watched it with a bunch of SAS guys and they all cheered at one point when val kilmer changed a magazine with perfect technique.

alasdair

 

[UE8in69]

Incredibly surreal, and even more surreal was when real people decided to rob a bank in almost an identical fashion as in Heat, and there ended up being a HUGE battle between the robbers and the police.

The police didn't even have powerful enough weapons to pierce through the heavy ass head-to-toe armor they were wearing. Seriously... I've seen the video's of it... it's fucking nuts. They fought for a long time, and I heard the LAPD had to burst in on a local gunstore and take all their powerful shit off the wall to stop them. That, and I think they were almost out of ammo. These guys were definitely the real deal!!

The North Hollywood Shootout Feb 28, 1997 - one of only three televised images that I will NEVER be able to erase from my memory.

Heat is one of the most intelligently done movies I've ever seen. The simplicity almost forces you to really observe the people and situation as opposed to watching the movie as a whole. I don't think I'm saying this correctly. Heat is definelty a movie that can be appreciated on so many levels.

 

[john mason]

Yeah, I know exactly what you mean. While we can try, there is something about the movie that is just so brilliant, I can't express it. The characters are just doing their own thing, and the viewer is simply an oberver to the whole scheme.

That didn't come out right. Eh.. whatever.

I wonder what it would have been like to be a pedestrian during the REAL north hollywood shootout. I can't even fathom seeing some guys TOTALLY covered over every inch of their body in armor, just completely open fire against the police when their plan went bad.

Surreal isn't even a strong enough word... that would be unreal.

 

[uenjymyself]

If you are truly a "De Niro maniac," I suggest you rewatch Godfather II before proclaiming this pedestrian action movie the greatest thing he's done.

man i coulden't agree w/you more.what should have been a great moment n cinimatic history was washed away and wasted forever.

 

[ChemicalBeauty]

man i coulden't agree w/you more.what should have been a great moment n cinimatic history was washed away and wasted forever.

I'm a HUGE Deniro and Pacino fan - but give HEAT 2 thumbs down.

Why did they have to make Pacino be such a fucking SCREAMING MANIAC cop? That was just silly inmo.

I could go on about things I thought were bad about the movie, but I'd like to quit thinking about it asap!

 

[mariacallas]

Holy fuck was this a great movie or WHAT. I had the DVD with me for about six months already and I kept putting off watching it. I finally saw it last night. Riveted from beginning till end. "wipes perspiration from brow" . Fantastic movie.

 

[Max Power]

I've been putting this one off as well. Prbly gonna watch Raging Bull first though.

 

[mariacallas]

Hmmm...I just watched the entire Godfather trilogy [for like, the 79th time] last week, and HEAT this week for the first time. I'll probably watch my dvd of Raging Bull soon Been ages since I've seen it.