Favorite Movies Countdown — No. 11

11. Heat (1995)

Starring: Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Val Kilmer, Tom Sizemore, Ashley Judd, Natalie Portman, Wes Studi, and Ted Levine

About: This is my favorite Michael Mann movie, and probably the movie against which I measure all other crime dramas. I love the crime drama genre — as you can probably tell from this list — and "Heat" is chief among that group of films.

Basically this is a story of a group of criminals (De Niro, Kilmer, and Sizemore) trying to pull off a big job and the cops (Pacino, Studi, and Levine) trying to catch them. It also involves their lives, and the ways in which they are similar and different.

Mann did a lot of research to try and nail this movie and, ironically, "Heat" isn't even the first version of this story. Originally it was done as a TV movie called "L.A. Takedown," that Mann went back and decided to re-visit. Thank goodness he did.

This film is notable for two major things. First, it was the first time De Niro and Pacino shared the screen. Sure, they were both in "The Godfather, Part II," for which De Niro won an Academy Award. But De Niro played Vito Corleone in flashbacks and Pacino played Michael Corleone in the present, so they never appeared in a scene together. That came in this movie, and it was worth the wait. Both were still in the performing prime, and this movie was a great showcase for their skills.

Second, this film is noted for having one of the finest shootouts put to film. By that, of course, I'm referring to the battle in the streets of L.A. after De Niro and his crew rob a bank and the cops, led by Pacino, are there waiting for them. I can't see that scene enough times, it is a personal favorite.

I like the characters, the gritty realism, and the way Mann deftly tells the story. This was right around the peak period for Mann as a filmmaker too, and he nailed his formula with "Heat." In fact, I think he's been trying to replicate the formula ever since and it just hasn't worked.

"Heat" may not be the deepest film, but it's a movie I can watch time and again and still appreciate.

Other Mann Efforts:

"Last of the Mohicans" (1992) — An under rated period piece. Great performance from Daniel Day Lewis and the main theme in this movie (I mean the main piece of music) kicks.

"The Insider" (1999) — I think this is an under rated film as well, and might have featured the best performance that year. A great job done by Russell Crowe, in an atypical role, and the great Al Pacino.

"Collateral" (2004) — Great against type casting with Tom Cruise as the villain and a terrific performance from Jamie Foxx that is often overlooked because this film came out the same year as "Ray."

"Miami Vice" (2006) — I actually like this film, and the more I watch it the more I appreciate the subtle nuance. Sure, it wasn't as good as "Heat," and it definitely wasn't like the TV show upon which it was based, but I can appreciate what Mann was trying to accomplish. It's darker and moodier, and it has some terrific action sequences.