Heat directed by Michael Mann

[EarlXX]

Michael Mann is one of the greatest directors in the world, although he hasn't received the fame that folks like Scorsese, Lee and the likes have. His Oscar nominations for The Insider at least got his name in the public eye.

Heat is probably his second best film (Insider is his best), and it was overlooked at Oscar time.

The cast is one of my all time favorites...Al Pacino, Robert De Niro and Val Kilmer is more than enough. But theres also a bunch of other fave performers of mine, including Tom Sizemore, Hank Azaria and Jeremy Piven. Throw in Natalie Portman, Ashley Judd, Diane Venora, Amy Brenneman, Dennis Haysbert, Wes Studi, Ted Levine, Jon Voight, Henry Rollins, Tone Loc and the very scary Kevin Gage and you've got one of the best essembles anywhere.

The shootout following the bank robbery stands as one of the most spectacular and thrilling ever put to film.

Its not widely known, but Heat is actually a remake of Mann's own TV movie LA Takedown, which seemed to be a wannabe pilot. It aired in 89.

The TV version featured Alex McArthur (in the De Niro role) and Scott Plank (Pacino). The more interesting supporting cast included Michael Rooker, Daniel Baldwin, Xander Berkley (who appeared uncredited in Heat), and ex-Flash Gordon Sam Jones in a bit role.

Its shocking how much Takedown and Heat are alike. The story and characters are pretty much the same, though, of course, Heat expands everything and fleshes everyone out.

Its very strange watching McArthur and Plank in the diner scene, knowing that it will eventually remade with Al Pacino and Robert De Niro!

McArthur is incredibly dull. Plank has the right look as Vincent Hannah (he resembles the talented William Petersen), but never really makes an impact.

I have no idea if Takedown is on video...I caught it on New Zealand cable...but if you can track it down, its worth watching. Alas, it does take some of the shine off Heat, because you know the theatrical version is just a remake.

Still, Heat is a classic film and a must see (again and again)

PS...watch Mann's Manhunter. Its better than any of the later, more high profile Hannibal Lector films.

[tabuno]

I don't know where I will find the time, but your comment of Heat makes it quite appealing.

[pmw]

Kilmer has one of his last great performances in Heat. And he's not even the leading man; imagine that. But he is really good in this one.

Yeah, I think the shootout and the opening take down are what make this movie what it is. Those are some very memorable moments.

[The King LGM]

I agree that Heat is a great film. Mann is overlooked, I only know of Heat, The Insider, and The Last of the Mohicans(all of which are great films). Although I was disappointed in DeNiro's and Pacino's performances. This is Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino in the same movie. This has only happened one other time, The Godfather Part II, and they didn't get to share the screen together. In Heat, we are giving the dessert we've wanted for years and years, DeNiro and Pacino, with dialouge between them. It was good, but I just expected better. I still love the film and the bank robbery scene is remarkable, just expected an A+ film from DeNiro and Pacino instead of an A-.

[stevetseitz]

The depiction of the criminals is fascinating: DeNiro is a dispassionate professional, Kilmer is an addicted gambler with family problems, Sizemore is an action freak, is a ex-con without prospects, one is a sociopath.

On the other hand, Pacino has many of the same characteristics: an addicted professional, who loves the chase and is almost hopelessly mired in unsolvable crimes who has personal and family problems.

A very solid crime drama, it's not an "action picture", the robbery scene in "Heat" was adrenaline pumping enough to inspire some real-life copycats.

Some boisterous overacting (and improv?) by Pacino doesn't hurt the film badly and the coffee house scene with De Niro is a chance to see two masters at their craft.

[tabuno]

I finally watched Heat based on messages I found here in this thread. I had seen it before a while back. While I think that Heat is a solid crime movie, it did have some shortcomings. The shootout seemed overly dramatic and unrealistic with all the bullets flying and the criminals get away way too easily while the dramatic ending seemed unlikely if de Niro was supposed to be so good. It seemed like a rather stiff and straightforward climax without much mental brilliance that I had come to expect based on the previous meticulous planning. It seems Val Kilmer came out of the action the with best outcome of any character, but it seemed like a secondary, almost trivial outcome when the amount of screen time is factored in.

[Ilker81x]

EarlXX...do you realize that William Petersen was the original choice for the role in "LA Takedown?" Watch the "Manhunter" DVD...Petersen tells how he auditioned for that part (when Mann was still calling it "Heat"), but Mann decided Petersen was better for "Manhunter." Little bit of trivia there. :) And yes, I'll agree "Manhunter" is better than the later Lecter movies (though I still think the Oscars in "Silence of the Lambs" were well-deserved).

Michael Mann I don't think is underappreciated since his films are pretty well-known works of modern cinema. I think it is just that his name has become more known in recent years than it used to be. After all...he did used to direct episodes of "Miami Vice." But look at his list of credits...everyone knows his films, just not his name...and that is steadily changing. Being nominated a few times at the Oscars certainly helped, and now he's being apprecaited as the great director he is.

[SteveSW9]

He makes movies for movie-boys like us.
I love him.
But he's not "great".

[EarlXX]

This is funny...I started this thread a year and a half ago, and its still around! And I'm not sure if I've even been back here since then!

Interesting comments made about Mann and Heat.

What does everyone think of his other films?

Theres one or two of his early stuff I have yet to see, like the disasterous The Keep...

Thief.
Really good thriller, with an excellent James Caan and a good early credit for Jim Belushi. Plus Dennis Farina, Willie Nelson and William Petersen.
The movie set the tone for his other works with slick night time photography and the music electronic-ish music that usually means Gorgio Moroder or Moby.

Manhunter.
Like I said in the previous post, this to me is better than the Anthony Hopkins Lector films. Hannibal only has two scenes, but the character works on different levels than Hopkin's take on him. Actor Brian Cox, whos finally getting the fame he deserves thanks to winning an Emmy and appearing in X-Men 2, plays him as a very laidback, rational guy...and doesn't come off as a campy, staring wacko.

Great moments throughout this film, including when villian Tom Noonan allows blind Joan Allen to stroke the tiger. Haunting and memorable.
The scariest scene is when hero William Petersen is profiling the killer in the dark house where the victims were murdered. Great stuff.

I thought Brett Ratner's Red Dragon was quite good, but was as fascinating as what Mann...plus tacked on that stupid, cliche finale when the looney goes after the hero and his family.

I like both Ali and Last Of The Mohicans, but I felt both were a bit more aloof than his other films. That said, they were as well crafted as I'd expect from Mann. Ali especially had great performances from Will Smith, Mario Van Peebles as Malcolm X and the amazing Jon Voght as Howard Cosell.

The Insider was my favorite film of 1999. Amazing balance of journalist drama, character study and subtle thriller. Pacino, Crowe and Christopher Plummer as Mike Wallace were all brilliant. Plus did anyone catch Bruce McGill as the lawyer on Crowe's side? He had a incredible fire and brimstone speech at one point. Superb movie...even if you don't necessarily believe that it all happened in real life.

I used to love Miami Vice when I was younger, and actually think I have the episode in which Phil Collins appears as con man game show host on tape somewhere.
That show was amazing for actors who would become huge...Julia Roberts, Bruce Willis, Liam Neeson, Melanie Griffith, etc...

I liked the more recent Robbery Homicide Division. I live in New Zealand, and we got the entire series aired, and on the same network, unlike America. It had the same slick approach that Heat and Manhunter had, and some of the episodes were very good. What it lacked was a real fresh edge...there was nothing that made it really stand out from the other slew of cop shows. Great to see Tom Sizemore, one of my favorite performers, before his, um, problems with the law.

Well, this post just cover me for another year and a half! hehe

[oscar jubis]

I have Mann pegged as a visual stylist, working at a high level of craftmanship within narrowly defined genres. Which means I want to watch everything he directs, even though several of his movies underachieve due to mediocre scripts. Mann has a sense of pacing, an understanding of how to use a score, and an ability to direct actors (Pacino will overact 'til the day he dies no matter who directs him). I'm slightly bothered by a tendency of Mann's to make criminality appear glamorous or to romanticize criminals. The Insider is his best film but all are worthy of recommendation for one reason or another.

Hope Earl posts more often. A kiwi perspective is lacking here.

[EarlXX]

Mann's upcoming film with Tom Cruise and could be interesting...its an action thriller called Colateral, and features a number of people Mann's worked with before, such as Jamie Foxx, Bruce McGill, several actors from Robbery Homicide Division...

Thanks, oscar jubis! I'll try to post here more often!

Yep, I'm a Kiwi, and was thanked three times on Oscar night, like everyone else in this country! hehe