For today’s IMDB Top 250 guest review, we have the Scottish (Scottish accents are the BEST!) Mark of the brilliant Marked Movies site. Mark has awesome hair (although he apparently no longer has that hairdo in his pic here) and has boat drinks (I still have no idea what that means) and writes wonderful movie reviews. He also has GREAT taste in movies (as in, we seem to like a lot of the same types of films and I have really cool taste). Well, he likes Raging Bull a hell of a lot more than I did… Anyway – he’s a popular blogger that everyone wants to have a drink with so check out his site if, for some odd reason, you haven’t already.
There are still some movies up for grabs if anyone wants to do a guest IMDB Top 250 review. You can find the list HERE.
Now onto Mark for his thoughts on the movie Heat, IMDB rank 119 out of 250…
Director: Michael Mann.
Screenplay: Michael Mann.
Starring: Robert DeNiro, Al Pacino, Tom Sizemore, Val Kilmer, Jon Voight, Kevin Gage, Diane Venora, Amy Brenneman, Ashley Judd, Mykelti Williamson, Wes Studi, Ted Levine, Danny Trejo, Dennis Haysbert, William Fichtner, Natalie Portman, Tom Noonan, Hank Azaria, Henry Rollins, Tone Loc, Jeremy Piven, Xander Berkeley, Martin Ferrero, Bud Cort.
When this was released in 1995, most people believed it to be an original idea. It wasnât. It was actually a more fleshed out and elborate version of Michael Mannâs 80â˛s TV movie âL.A. Takedownâ. He obviously didnât have the budget or the actors, to realise his vision at this time, so with a second chance, Mann grabs it with both hands and both of the best actors in the business.
Professional and precise thief Neil McCauley (Robert DeNiro) lives by a strict code and doesnât take chances. He has a tight-knit crew that takedown big jobs for big money but he ends up drawing the attention of determined and obsessive robbery/homicide cop Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino). The two of them have more in common than one might think and as their worlds draw closer, they are led to an inevitable confrontation.
At itâs core, âHeatâ can be viewed as an old fashioned cops-and-robbers tale but itâs done with such vastness and great attention to detail that it rises above most, if not all, of the genre. It not only focuses on the the lives of the two main characters â at opposite ends of the moral scale â but it pays attention to the city and environment in which they operate. What almost overshadowed the storyline, was the anticipation of seeing DeNiro and Pacino share the screen for the first time (They were both in âThe Godfather part IIâ but never had any scenes together). Comparisons between their acting styles will obviously be made and without focusing too much on their different approaches, I found DeNiroâs more subtle, calculating delivery far more convincing than Pacinoâs tendency to overact with random, explosive outbursts, bellowing at everyone he meets. There, I said it. However, the film is far more than just these two great actors. Itâs a multi-layered character study and the supporting roles, particularly Sizemore and Kilmer (in a role originally intended for Keanu Reeves) are given a substantial amount of work and the female parts of Venora, Brenneman and Judd play a massive part in shaping the leads also. We are given a glimpse into their home lives and the struggle they all face in maintaining a ânormalâ life â when it goes against their nature. The actors are all given roles to work with, allowing us to identify and care about them. Itâs because of this, that when the action is delivered, itâs edge of your seat stuff. There are three great âGetawayâ scenes from movies that I found particularly powerful; Kathryn Bigelowâs âPoint Breakâ had Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze (on foot) running through suburban houses and backyards; The opening of Nicolas Winding Refnâs âDriveâ had Ryan Gosling (in a car) careening and speeding through a darkened urban jungle and this⌠the major characters (with weapons) shooting it out through a busy congested Los Angeles street. As much as this isnât just about the two leads, itâs not just about the action either. Itâs more about the city itself and itâs inhabitants. The refined dialogue allows these inhabitants to come alive and Mannâs meticulous, hypnotic direction and ethereal choice of music breathes life into the city as well.
An exciting and methodical piece of work from a highly accomplished cast and director. A near masterpiece of modern cinema.
Mark Walker
