[Closed] HEAT - The motion Picture - Fantastic?

The big 'ole street gunfight is well done, but the rest is pretty stock really (angst ridden cop, robbers with "honour" and so on) I'd watch if it came on telly, but I wouldn't call it one of the best movies ever.

I think the whole ambience is great, acting very good and although the plot is slowish and not "original" makes for a very compelling film IMHO. I agree the gun fight is great and the ending is def "not " hollywood happy ever after!

Its one of my fave movies as well, a re make of LA Takedown which Michael Mann did years ago. Actually I never watch the last 5 minutes as Neil would have got away. Wayne Gro is a great baddy. Andy McNab was the shoot out advisor.

One thing I have never figured out is what is the growth on Val Kilmers elbow.

I agree with you both- in a lot of ways it is a bit by the numbers but it's done so well it doesn't matter. It's definitely one of my favourites.

I went to see this at the cinema when it came out, one of the biggest screens in the place & hardly anyone in it. Was amazed more people weren't in there!

It was the film that got me into appreciating well crafted/shot/acted films.
It's dated a little badly but is still great for sure.

Have you seen the original? LA Takedown, shot in black&white by the same director, abotu half the length - just as good.

I won't go that far as well as best movie ever. Have you tried Dog's Day Afternoon? Somehow that's the movie which came to my mind trying to think of something better.

I might order that on LoveFilm then dave_rudabar - was looking a getting a few of his ones I haven't seen!

Michael Mann always makes "sylish" films. Some are better than others, but most are pretty visually and atmospherically memorable.

I tend to find they seem to depict a very compassionaless side of human beings. He does that pretty well.

Not seen Public Enemies yet (and Kermode's review has warned me off a little).

Thats on order OMITN - I'll make up my own mind 🙂

was too long for me.shoot out bit its great tho.

I thought it was ok but not brilliant but everyone is different which is the point.

I might watch it again now I'm older I might like more or even less!

The action scenes and sound were great.

One of my all time favourites, a masterpeice of film making in my opinion.

The acting, the heist, that final scene - that combination of Pacino's face and God Moving Over The Face Of The Water, it stays with me. What a moment.

If public ennemies was not shot from a cctv point of view, that would have been much better.

I'm sure I've seen LA Takedown in colour (?)

Love both films.

have any of you tried blackhawk down? thats one of my favourites....especially like the fact theres a few english actors in it....based on the book which is factual...very claustrophobic

Yeh BHD was actually quite good for an American War Movie IMHO 🙂

Directed by Ridley Scott innit. (hence the reason it's "lit" like that and feels claustrophobic).

Weirdly, I was just thinking about HEAT earlier today -- I come on the STW Forums and here people are discussing it.

Definitely one of my favourite films -- there are plenty of [i]better [/i]films, but in such a vast sea of crap, it does bob above the surface sufficiently to be memorable.

The soundtrack & audio is part of what makes it for me - the gunshot sounds are [i]so loud [/i], they really add impact to the shootout scene. As jackthedog also mentioned, I love the Mobo track at the movie's close.

As others have said, I wouldn't go so far as to describe HEAT as my best all time film. However, I do enjoy the Michael Mann style of directing.

Especially his night shoots, even as far back as Miami Vice which had some interesting night scenes.
He's been critisized in the past for overly clean streets on his sets, etc. However, I think he gets a lot right in his scenes and I like to watch those night shots, the use he makes of street lighting and other light sources is entertaining and enjoyable to watch for that, imo.

You see it again in Collateral, lots of night scenes, the part where the camera is pointed down directly onto the street grid of the city, while the helicopter just floats across the sky, classical music as the sound track, was pure MM indulging himself. I like to think.

Also, HEAT, the use of that Moby track, again, great work and really suits the film, I think.

I too do not like the ending, I do not believe that the charachter played by Robert De Niro would have diverted to wipe out a nobody and risk all that he had at that point. Kind of goes against how I had come to understand that character, up to that point in the film. Furthermore, the timing of the main heist in the film, how the police stumble across a plan for the robbery AND manage to turn up during the robbers exit. Was a bit much. But I'm not going to pull the film apart, its good overall and how else was Mann going to launch into one of the best street shoot-out scenes I've ever seen. The sound of the guns echoing off the buildings, the loud rapid firing, again very atmospheric.

Great sound track, excellent camera work.

🙂

Solo.

Bit overrated and overblown I thought.

Prefer Scorsese anyday.

Bit overrated and overblown I thought.

I didn't thinks this film was very well known really!

[i]Furthermore, the timing of the main heist in the film, how the police stumble across a plan for the robbery AND manage to turn up during the robbers exit. Was a bit much[/i]

I thought that the bloke they originally robbed tipped off the police about the bank robbery after another criminal had tortured the info out of one of the gang. Hence the reason DeNiro's character went out of his way to kill him and break his own rules...Blimey, I don't rate the film that highly and even I can remember the plot...

I never saw it. My GF walked out half way through and as I knew what was good for me I had to follow.

Good boy.

I thought it was a good film that would have benefitted from some editing - it had a good first and last third, but plodded in the middle section.

The driver is tortured, but only after he has missed the job. He calls DeNiro to tell him that he can not join the gang.
DeNiro then recruits the cook in the diner he is in with Kilmer and they go to do the job.

The film depicts the police discovering the plan to rob the bank, as the robbery is in progress. They got to the scene pretty quickly, all armed and armoured. Perhaps the bank was near to the Police HQ....

Anyway, these events enable the film to lead into the shoot out, etc, so it has to happen that way.

Its just that I don't think the police would have been on-scene so quickly.

Solo.

Andy Mcnabb (SAS fame) had a lot to do with the bank job and other aspects of the film. I love Black Hawk Down it shows what a f*ck up it was. If you get a chance watch the documentary where they interview some of the soldiers most are very bitter that it portrayed* if the yanks get a kicking they run home with their tales between their legs.

*the mission of Battle of Mogadishu not the film

I've only seen it once, and it was a long time ago, now. I remember quite liking it but not being blown away. It seemed to drag in the centre and at times felt paced/structured more like a TV show than a movie.

Then again I saw it on VHS on a very run of the mill TV so I obviously did not experience the full majesty of its sound or the immersion of a big screen.

On the other hand, I really liked Collateral.

Yeah, as I wrote, HEAT is not the perfect film, but it has its merits, and to watch it, one can see that its classic Mann.

Who, again, I'm not suggesting is the worlds best director, but I recognize his style and it can be visually pleasing.

Just as When you watch films by Ridley Scott such as Blade Runner, Black Rain and Gladiator. You get a sense that he wants to [i]work[/i] the light in a particular way. His style is also recognizable, imo.

Solo.

Love MM and Heat in particular. It's not worthwhile to compare to Scoresese imo, they are aiming for different flicks.

overrated, self indulgent, overbloated, overlong big budget remake of a film he already made. With a childish conceit to the "DENIRO AND PACINO TOGETHER FOR THE FIRST TIME" in that in most sequences the POV of the camera means theyre not in the same shot.

Crap ending. Will let him off using Moby as it wasn't quite such a cliche then.

And I like Michael Mann's stuff.

Come on Munqe-chick don't hold back tells us what you real think 😉

Cracking film as is collateral and Black Hawk Down both done by fabulous directors who know how to use scenes and light well.

Hated the ending of collateral.

the end of collateral is great. I just have this image of the character played by Cruise seating in the carriage while the tube goes around and around for ever.

No I really wanted to see Jamie Foxx get a bullet in head.

Eat yer heart out Barry Norman......... 😉

Kuco, yeah got a bit into a bit of a rant there (been reading some Charlie Brooker stuff so it probably rubbed off). Enjoyed Collateral but it was always going to struggle with a conclusion, and jamie foxx suddenly turning action hero was a typical hollywood finale.

But then what do I know, I like David Fincher who gets criticised by film buffs as being a jumped-up music video director (Se7en, Fight Club, Panic Room, cruelly hamstrung with a decimated budget which ruined Alien3, developed the "virtual camera" technique where it passes thru keyholes, walls, railings, wiring etc).

Se7en, Fight Club

I like the track used when De'Niro is followed by Pacino towards the end when they have a coffee in teh diner - Passengers track - Always Forever Now : [url= http://www.last.fm/music/Passengers/_/Always+Forever+Now ]Linky to Last FM[/url]

[i]cruelly hamstrung with a decimated budget which ruined Alien3, [/i]

Oh, I think the woeful plot/rehash did more than that.

MC.

Good point, I hadn't really thought about how else Mann could have shot the Cafe scene.

🙂

Solo.

Always remember going to the cinema to see it, . . . we all sat there as the credits came on, and thought wow this is stylish, I like the way they're isn't any sound/music, different we thought. . .

then we realised as they began to speak, that yep the sound hadn't been turned on . . . !

Who did Swordfish when the girl explodes and all the bearings go flying, brilliant.

Michael Bay's BadBoys. The real Miami Vice movie.

The shoot out in Heat is awesome especially if you have a decent home theatre system, the sound of the bullets whizzing past when you crank the sound up is fantastic, it is one of my favourite films.

Also like Black Hawk Down, again the soundtrack is amazing, have had the whole lounge vibrating when the black hawk is hovering overhead just as if it was above my house, fantastic!!!

On a personal note I believe action films can never be too loud 😀