Obsessive master thief Neil McCauley leads a top-notch crew on various daring heists throughout Los Angeles while determined detective Vincent Hanna pursues him without rest. Each man recognizes and respects the ability and the dedication of the other even though they are aware their cat-and-mouse game may end in violence.
Al Pacino
Lt. Vincent Hanna
Robert De Niro
Neil McCauley
Val Kilmer
Chris Shiherlis
Jon Voight
Nate
Tom Sizemore
Michael Cheritto
Diane Venora
Justine
Amy Brenneman
Eady
Ashley Judd
Charlene Shiherlis
Mykelti Williamson
Drucker
Wes Studi
Casals
Ted Levine
Bosko
Dennis Haysbert
Donald Breedan
William Fichtner
Roger Van Zant
Natalie Portman
Lauren Gustafson
Tom Noonan
Kelso
Kevin Gage
Waingro
Hank Azaria
Alan Marciano
Susan Traylor
Elaine Cheritto
Kim Staunton
Lillian
Danny Trejo
Trejo
Henry Rollins
Hugh Benny
Jerry Trimble
Schwartz
Martin Ferrero
Construction Clerk
Ricky Harris
Albert Torena
Tone Loc
Richard Torena
Begonya Plaza
Anna Trejo
Hazelle Goodman
Hooker's Mother
Ray Buktenica
Timmons
Jeremy Piven
Dr. Bob
Xander Berkeley
Ralph
Rick Avery
Armored Guard #2
Brad Baldridge
Children's Hospital Doctor
Andrew Camuccio
Dominick
Brian Camuccio
Dominick
Max Daniels
Shooter at Drive-in
Vince Deadrick Jr.
Driver at Drive-in
Charles Duke
Cop #5
Thomas Elfmont
Desk Clerk Cop
Kenny Endoso
Bartender
Kimberly Flynn
Casals' Date
Steven Ford
Officer Bruce
Farrah Forke
Claudia
Hannes Fritsch
Miracle Mile Bartender
Amanda Graves
Linda Cheritto
Emily Graves
Anita Cheritto
Niki Haris
Marcia Drucker
Ted Harvey
Detective #2
Patricia Healy
Bosko's Date
Paul Herman
Sergeant Heinz
Cindy Katz
Rachel
Brian Libby
Captain Jackson
Bill McIntosh
Armored Guard #1
Dan Martin
Harry Dieter
Rick Marzan
Basketball Player
Terry Miller
Children's Hospital Nurse
Paul Moyer
News Anchorman
Daniel O'Haco
Detective #1
Mario Roberts
Bank Guard #1
Phillip Robinson
Alphonse
Thomas Rosales Jr.
Armored Truck Driver
Rainell Saunders
Dead Hooker
Kai Soremekun
Prostitute
Rey Verdugo
Vegas Cop
Wendy L. Walsh
News Anchorwoman
Yvonne Zima
Hostage Girl
Monica Lee Bellais
Nurse (uncredited)
Peter Blackwell
Bar Couple (uncredited)
Trevor Coppola
Restaurant Patron (uncredited)
Bud Cort
Solenko, Restaurant Manager (uncredited)
Annette Goodman
Prostitute (uncredited)
Mick Gould
1st SIS Detective in the Hallway (uncredited)
Mary Kircher
Police Woman (uncredited)
David Koseruba
Mustached Cop with Capt. Jackson on Roof (uncredited)
Darin Mangan
Grocery Store Employee (uncredited)
Melissa S. Markess
Police Woman (uncredited)
Andre McCoy
Man at Party (uncredited)
Darren Melton
Bookstore Patron (uncredited)
Robert Miranda
Cusamano (uncredited)
Kathryn Mullen
Doreen Daniel, Diner Patron (uncredited)
Manny Perry
Grocery Store Cop (uncredited)
Jimmy N. Roberts
Road-blockade Cop (uncredited)
Iva Franks-Singer
Waitress (uncredited)
Jimmy Star
Restaurant Patron (uncredited)
Gloria Koehn Straube
Beach Walker (uncredited)
Viviane Vives
Castilian Woman (uncredited)
Tim Werner
Bank Guard (uncredited)
Heidi Miller
Extra (uncredited)
Director, Writer
Michael Mann
March 24, 2015
10
You don't live with me, you live among the remains of dead people.
Heat is written and directed by Michael Mann. It stars Robert DeNiro, Al Pacino, Val Kilmer, Jon Voight, Tom Sizemore, Diane Venora, Ashley Judd, Amy Brennerman and Danny Trejo. Music is scored by Elliot Goldenthal and cinematography by Dante Spinoti.
Big time thief Neil McCauley (DeNiro) is after one last major score before he retires, but hot on his tail is Vincent Hannah (Pacino), a cop equally and methodically as driven as he is himself.
In the build up to Heat's release, much was made of it being the first on screen pairing of DeNiro and Pacino. A mouthwatering prospect for sure, it proved to be worth the wait and unfolds as a lesson in restrained acting with two modern greats affording each other the respect that was due. What we didn't realise in the build up to the film's release, was that it would prove to be one of the greatest cops and robbers movies of all time, brought to us by an auteur director whose kink for realism and commitment to research stands him out from much of the modern directing pack.
Rarely does a film come together as one, where all the cogs of the engine are in tune, but Heat is one such picture. From cast performances to visual aesthetics, to screenplay and actual substance of story, Heat is as meticulous as it is thrilling. There are a myriad of characters brilliantly stitched together in one de-glamorised City of Angels, as plot develops, and each character and their crumbling relationships come under inspection, we are witnessing a coarse viewpoint of human nature, where people's lives are ended or defined by their choices. Everywhere you look, here, there are folk cracking under the strain of being exposed to high end crime, dreams, hopes and happiness are unlikely to be achieved, and this is on both sides of the law.
For Heat, Mann fuses the tonal and visual ticks of Manhunter with that of the adrenalin rushes from Last of the Mohicans, with the former gorgeously born out by Spinoti's pin sharp photography, the latter thrillingly realised by Mann's skill at action set pieces. Once again word of mouth about the key heist and shoot out in the film led to high expectation, and again there is no disappointment. L.A. becomes a battle ground, rapid gunfire punctures the air, cars swerve and crash, bodies fall, visually and aurally it drags you to the edge of your seat, an extended action sequence fit to sit with the best of them. The kicker as well is that because Mann has been so detailed in his characterisations, we care about what happens to all parties, we understand motives and means. Which in a film with such a huge support cast is quite an achievement.
There is enough in Heat to fill out a dozen other cops and robbers films, fans of neo-noir and crime films in general are spoilt supreme here. It's not rocket science really, put a group of great actors together, give them an intelligent script to work from and let them be guided by a director who will not sit still, and you get a great film. Heat, the ultimate predator and prey movie, where from beginning to end it refuses to be lazy or cop out, and energy and thought seeps from every frame. 10/10