Review of Heat (1995) by Critic M — 27 Mar 2013

Heat is the quintessential dark and dramatic cops and robber movie. It puts the best holdup crew against the best lead investigator in high stake complex scores. It's brutal, it's raw, it's crime, pure and simple. There's violence, however, it's a very more of a dramatic piece. The real juice is the opposition of the two mind, it's psychological.

The score gives shiver. The photography transfixes. The acting plunges you deeply within the fabric of the movie. The story is ultra captivating. The action is breathtaking, yet simple and very real. The characters are well layered and with lots of emotional depth, yet easy to understand.

You spend a lot of time with the two protagonists. You see their daily life. You get to know them. Robert De Niro plays a stone hard persona, efficient and brutally direct when needed. He's the criminal, yet he's almost endearing. Al Pacino plays a fiery angry cop who will stop at nothing, just keeping in sight of the law, to get his man. He's easy to hate, the way he yells and shut out his family life.

The star studded cast who performed so well also includes: Val Kilmer, Jon Voight, Tom Sizemore, Justine Hanna, Ashley Judd, Hank Azaria, Danny Trejo, plus a very young Natalie Portman playing a small yet powerful role as the step daughter of the main detective. In her portrayal you can already see the great actress she became.

It's a must see.