Having scored a solid critical and box-office success with his superb 1993 re-make of The Last of the Mohicans, director Michael Mann returns to the mean streets of his underrated Thief and Manhunter with his latest effort Heat. A sprawling, two-hour-and-45-minute crime epic propelled by intense performances from a to-die-for cast, Heat is a rarity – a long movie that doesn’t seem long, as well as an action movie that’s surprisingly character-driven. Granted, with its plot of an obsessed detective tracking a professional thief, Mann’s film may not sound that much different from the usual cops-and-robbers fare, but attention to detail and character is what sets it apart from the rest of the pack. As advance publicity has been quick to point out, Heat marks the first time that Al Pacino and Robert De Niro have worked together onscreen (that phrasing neatly excludes The Godfather II), although fans may be disappointed to hear that the dynamic duo share a total of two scenes together. Even though the undeniable novelty of seeing these two acting giants simply sitting across the table from one another probably is enough to warrant their teaming, the two stars refuse to allow their pairing to degenerate into stunt casting. As the wild-eyed, smart-assed cop with no room for anything in his life except his job, Pacino is a delight to watch, while De Niro’s brilliantly controlled turn is nothing short of a marvel (he has a couple of incredible moments here that practically define screen acting). Val Kilmer more or less redeems himself following his bland stint in Batman Forever, but he is nevertheless upstaged by co-stars Ashley Judd and Diane Venora, who, as Pacino’s wife, delivers some of Mann’s most biting dialogue. The rest of the cast is rounded out by a parade of swell character actors ranging from the currently in-demand Tom Sizemore (Strange Days) to the criminally underused Wes Studi (Geronimo: An American Legend). Potential viewers should watch out for a surprising number of unexpected cameos by various musicians and B-movie personalities. Aside from the bravura performances and tight direction, Heat also features some of the most electrifying action sequences of the year, with two set-pieces in particular – a frantic shoot-out on the streets of downtown L.A. and the cat-and-mouse finale near the LAX airstrips – pushing tension levels well into the red. These moments, as well as many others, are well-served by Mann’s expert use of sound and music (he was, after all, the fellow responsible for Miami Vice, and who could ever forget his use of Iron Butterfly in Manhunter). Also, frequent Mann collaborator Dante Spinotti’s dynamic cinematography perfectly captures the mood of the piece from the film’s very first shot. The few faults to be found in Heat most likely stem from the whittling down of its running time to a more “manageable” length, resulting in a few disappointingly underdeveloped subplots. Ultimately, though, these are minor complaints: Heat is involving and exciting … a terrific thriller.
This article appears in December 7 • 2012.