Heat (1995)

Another movie I liked before but couldn't remember well. This one stops streaming on Netflix at the end of June. Only after I started rewatching did I realize the appropriate timing: It features a public clash with authorities in L.A.

The story begins with an armored car heist led by Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro). Alas, one of his partners (Kevin Gage) is a loose cannon, so everyone from the armored car is unnecessarily killed. LAPD Lt. Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino) heads a hunt for the robbers, who face quite enough enmity from fellow crooks already, not least a treacherous money launderer (William Fichtner).

The obvious running theme is the similarity between McCauley and Hanna, as hinted by their casting. They are both eloquent yet profane and thuggish. Hanna's third wife (Diane Venora) is on the verge of leaving him, while McCauley is reluctant to get emotionally close to anyone because he might need to leave abruptly, tho his stance softens amid the advances of one woman (Amy Brenneman) who doesn't know what she's getting into. Some viewers complain that we barely get to see the two men together, but given the plot, how long could we expect them to talk and not try to shoot each other? Was there such a complaint about The Wild Bunch, which had pretty much the same theme?

I must not pretend that Pacino and De Niro carry all the star power. McCauley's acquaintances include ones played by Val Kilmer, Tom Sizemore, Danny Trejo, and Jon Voight. Kilmer's even gets to be focal sometimes, particularly as he tries to appeal to a wife (Ashley Judd) who approves of his crimes but not his low takes. Other names familiar to me include Dennis Haysbert, a teenage Natalie Portman, Hank Azaria, Henry Rollins, Tone Loc, Jeremy Piven, and Xander Berkeley.

On its surface, the plot seemed simple at first, and I wondered how it would run 171 minutes. But both the criminal underworld and police procedures get pretty complex. I kept thinking, "Wait, who's that again? Why are they doing this?"

Perhaps part of my confusion stems from the crooks not always choosing wisely. Other sources have pointed out that they make a lot of serious mistakes, however common in cinema at the time. The men don't strike me as especially stupid, but neither do any have the anomalous intelligence of Hans Gruber. That may be just as well for credibility, at the possible expense of distinction.

I think Heat was worth the rewatch, however long. It usually does well at both gritty drama and suspenseful action without crossing into gore. And while it may not be very quotable, the dialog adds to the flavor.