Review of Heat (1995) by Naveen K — 23 Oct 2011
Without a doubt one of the best movies to come out of Hollywood, and probably the THE seminal cops and robbers stories; the kind which all movies of the genre have been influenced by.
Michael Mann has really outdone himself here. In his magnum opus, 'Heat', he employed an almost deadpan and minimalist cinematography skilfully. Los-Angeles is given it's own character within the movie, with long, sweeping shots of the 'city of lights' interspersed lucidly between scenes of fast-paced action and moments of great depth and gravitas.
His faith is well placed in a cavalcade of incredibly talented acts including Al Pacino as a hard-hitting, obsessive cop and Robert De-Niro as the clinical, disciplined and hardline thief out to tackle the biggest scores. Val Kilmer, Ashley Judd and Tom Sizemore all play vital support roles.
Their ability to express emotion that are aside from what is happening on screen is a testament to Mann's storytelling through minimalist direction. Rather than resorting to flashy screen-grabs or depictions of flashbacks and mental processes, Mann rightfully invests full focus on the actors themselves and the characters they play. We can see what is going through their minds. We believe the struggles they go through in their lives. Their decisions and repercussion they face are real and entertaining.
Definitely a movie one would regret missing.
This review of Heat (1995) was written by Naveen K on 23 Oct 2011.
Heat has generally received very positive reviews.
Was this review helpful?
