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January 22, 2009
Heat (1995)
Should I see it?
No.


Short Review: This film left me more disappointed than Clay Aitkin’s girlfriend on prom night.



Overall, this should have been a great film. You have a great cast (Robert De Niro, Tom Sizemore, Val Kilmer, Jon Voiht, Dennis Haysbert and William Fichtner) along with Michael Mann writing and directing. What could possibly go wrong?

Al Pacino.

I liken his performance in this film to a child who ruins a beautiful family portrait by sticking out his tongue. Where everyone else is cemented in reality and subtlety, Pacino is a bellowing cartoon.

Other than Glen Garry Glen Ross, what has he done the past couple decades that hasn’t been overblown and goofy? He is stuck in Scarface mode. Watch the film and tell me you don’t expect him to scream out “Say hello to my little friend!” It’s a shame to see a single element in a film trash the whole piece.

The story is thought out and carefully executed. This is an interesting character piece and most of the actors take advantage of the opportunities Mann’s script provides. While some weak points do exist, the story is overall rather sturdy and advances some wonderful scenes.

There is one thing about this film that is simply brilliant – the sound. This has to be one of the best sounding films made in recent memory. The gunfights are stunning to hear. The rumbling echoes of the rifles off buildings are a joy to hear. Finally, a sound designer who actually wants the film to sound like real life.

Looking at the piece as a whole, it is worth seeing if you’ve missed it. This stands even though Pacino screams in every scene. I kept waiting for one of the other characters near to him to flinch and respond “Hey, you don’t have to yell, I’m standing right here!”


Related Reviews:
Robert De Niro movies
Bang the Drum Slowly (1973)
City by the Sea (2002)


Other Critic's Reviews:
Combustible Celluloid
ReelViews

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posted by Michelle Obama's Left Nut at 8:00 PM




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