Heat
In the history of Oscar Screwjobs, obviously that while it is well known that such things happen every year, it’s maybe once a decade that one occurs of such monumental proportions, that it casts shame and doubt upon the Academy Of Motion Picture Arts And Sciences that can never, ever be erased. Such was the case in 1995 with this film by Michael Mann, a Grand Masterpiece that seemed to fit all the criteria for awards glory, but due to a mostly cooled-off response from the biased critics at the time, failed to secure even ONE nomination when in reality it should have received several. It also marked the first on-screen teamup between its iconic stars, Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro, playing respectively, a cop and a criminal who are both the best at what they do, supported by a superb ensemble cast in which literally every major speaking role is filled by a quality, recognizable name actor. On just the surface level, it remains perhaps the ultimate existential masterpiece, exploring why people do what they do and live the lives they lead, whether it be legal or not, but at its heart, it is an excellent character study of two human beings and their professional and personal tribulations, fleshed out by a wonderful script that refuses to see either of them as stark black and white contrasts but rather lovingly defined shades of grey. DeNiro in many ways gives a career best performance as Neil McCauley, an ex-con turned professional bank robber who plans his heists down to the most minute detail leaving nothing to chance because besides obviously being a genius, it gives him and his crew the only chance they’ll ever have at living comfortable, luxurious lives with large measures of self-respect, in contrast to the minimum wage slave jobs that convicted felons are forced into where they might have their freedom, but are pushed to the fringes of society nonetheless. Put simply, Neil is the best there may ever be at what he does, but the same might be said of Pacino’s Vincent Hanna, a brilliant police Lieutenant with the striking ability to make note of whoever it is he might be dealing with and know EXACTLY how to come across to them to get what he wants, whether it be subdued melancholy, cocky indifference, or explosive, over the top belligerence. In fact, it was that aspect of Pacino’s performance that caused many of the critics of the time to unduly trash his work here, claiming that he took things too far, but that is precisely what those same folks DIDN’T get about the character, that he was a guy on the edge, obsessed with his criminal prey so much so to the detriment of his marriage and personal life that many times he finds himself firing on all cylinders in order to get the job done. Regardless, Pacino succeeds in projecting such an overall image of someone who is a resounding force of GOOD, that we NEVER doubt his integrity or intentions at any time whatsoever. DeNiro, on the other hand, does maybe the best job EVER at playing a “bad guy” (or, in the loosest term, “antagonist”) all the while humanizing him in the most realistic, sympathetic way possible, so that the viewer comes to understand and even CARE about Neil despite the fact that we know he’s going down the wrong path, and the lack of an Oscar Nom for Best Actor is perhaps the most baffling of all the Academy’s sins on this one. Certainly, Mann was careful enough to cast quality actors as the members of Neil’s crew and also as the team of cops working under Hanna, as the criminals include Val Kilmer, Tom Sizemore, and Danny Trejo (all legends), along with newcomer Kevin Gage painting a chilling portrait of evil as the cowboy wanna-be / fledgling serial killer who hooks up with them for one job and Dennis Haysbert giving a performance with plenty of room to breathe as the disgruntled ex-con working a shit job in a diner for a racist boss who gets an offer out of the blue to come rob a bank with DeNiro. The main cops, on the other hand, include Mykelti (Bubba Blue) Williamson, Wes (Magua) Studi, Ted (Buffalo Bill) Levine, and 90s low budget martial arts star Jerry Trimble, who all leave varied impressions on the film as well. Plus, we also get Jon Voight as Neil’s criminal “agent” (based upon pulp fiction writer Eddie Bunker), Diane Venora as Hanna’s wife, Amy Brenneman as the artist that Neil starts a relationship with against his best interests, William Fichtner as a duplicitous businessman who Neil tries to do business with, Ashley Judd as Kilmer’s wife in their volatile marriage, Natalie Portman as Hanna’s troubled stepdaughter, along with Tom Noonan, Hank Azaria, Henry Rollins, Ricky Harris, Tone Loc, Jeremy Piven, Xander Berkeley, and even Bud Cort a long way from his Harold And Maude days. All of them range from very good to excellent, filling their roles but never stealing the movie nor detracting from the two main stars. One cannot go away without mentioning the action sequences and violence, most legendarily the big bank robbery and shootout that is the centerpiece of the film, without a doubt perhaps the greatest single action setpiece in the history of cinema, where major characters drop like flies but it all works beautifully both emotionally and viscerally because we’ve all come to CARE about those involved. Special mention must be made to Mann’s trademark electronic score that he utilizes in almost all his work, evoking every emotion in the book between calming serenity and agonizing tension, and finally there is that ending, THE Ending, where all the emotions and empathy we’ve built for the two main characters over the last three hours finally comes to a head, with a final moment and shot that will stay in any viewer’s soul for the rest of their lives. Overall, a movie that will be forever remembered not just as a cops and robbers story done right, but absolutely fucking PERFECT…
10/10