Review of Heat (1995) by Areeque T — 10 Oct 2014

Getting to see Pacino and De Niro in the same film is a rare treat in and of itself. The fully A-list cast doesn't hurt either. Some of the best filmed actions scenes of the decade. I can see why people loved it. I can remember why I loved it as a young boy.

Watching it two decades later, it fails to impress. The script lacks focus. It's a traditional cops-and-robber story, but there's never enough politics to make that aspect of the script the main focus. Instead we get sporadic glimpses into the personal lives of everyone - a good change in pace for the genre. But the characters are left incredibly flat. Not enough time is spent on either stage (family or business) for the audience to start caring deeply about any of the characters. An incredible feat, given the total run-time is nearly 3 hours! The interactions are meaningful, but the essential conduit of said interactions - the dialogue - is mostly pandering, or unimaginative, or both at times. Good actors can only do so much.

The Pacino-De Niro coffee shop scene is a classic. De Niro delivers. If nothing else, it is worth a watch just for that.

PS: 16-y-o Natalie Portman is the cutest thing ever.