The trailers for Michael Mann’s 1995 update of his film LA TAKEDOWN, which effectively is the same film, only much bigger in budget, signify that the film is more of an action thriller than the crime drama it turns out to be.
That’s not to say the action isn’t great, but in terms of screen volume, there are three key sequences that could be termed as pure action in the context of a cop thriller – the opening freeway heist, the bank shoot-out – and the airport climax, whereas the bulk of the film is used to establish the characters of Detective Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino) and career criminal Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro) who is based on a real-life person.
In HEAT, a botched heist by McCauley’s gang thanks to new addition to the crew Waingro (Kevin Gage) when he shoots the bank truck guards, puts the gang, which includes Chris (Val Kilmer) and Michael (Tom Sizemore) on edge, but when Waingro escapes assassination by Neil in a diner car park, things get a little more tense.
Vincent starts to piece together the backstory from the remains of the freeway heist, with cost to his relationship with third wife Justine (Diane Venora) and step-daughter Lauren (Natalie Portman, then coming off LEON AKA THE PROFESSIONAL). With thanks to a couple of supergrasses, he gains Michael’s name and begins to observe the gang in various situations.
McCauley has a value system of walking away without consideration within seconds if the cops are onto him – and a tantalising multi-million heist by an associate, Kelso (Tom Noonan) as a farewell to crime tempts him one final time, but Hanna is watching and waiting….
Deeper in character development than a lot of cop thrillers, with some moody camerawork from Dante Spinotti, plus a fantastic various artist soundtrack, coupled with incidental music by Elliot Goldenthal (ALIEN 3), HEAT is a movie to cherish over repeat viewings to garner deeper meanings.