Review of Heat (1995) by Caroline P — 13 Feb 2016

It is very difficult to understand how anyone with a pulse could fail to be deeply engaged and moved by this masterpiece.The unparrelled action scenes are fascinating because you get to witness the crimes being discussed, even sold to McCauley's crew as 'scores' that they buy, from middlemen.

A deposit is issued to the criminal with the score, and it is up to McCauley and his crew to come through or they lose their money, freedom or lives. The often unmentioned component that really separates from other standard fare, is the access the viewer has to the private lives of all of the main characters.

These people are all caught in purgatorial dysfunction, created both by the criminals, their wives and families, but by those of the Detectives (Vincent in particular). The Classic scene where DeNiro and Pacino sit down for coffee, discovering how similar their lives are.

One could not exist without the other. The cast is absolutely flawless as is the cinematography. And, in the end we learn the same lesson we always do when good actively pursues absolute evil. But, (SPOILER) it is hard not feel a slight degree of empathy for the McCauley character.

The very, very last scene in the movie, the last 60 seconds before credits begin, utilizes music and cinematography to fill the viewer with a deep, somewhat unexplainable feeling of absolute hope in humanity.