Heat (1995)

My Review

Producer-director-screenwriter Michael Mann (“The Last of the Mohicans” 1992) has put together a plodding crime drama film called “Heat.” The story of a troubled relationship between an LAPD officer and an active career criminal is so long at 170 minutes that it is something of a miracle that anyone can sit through the picture’s duration. This is the result of sloppy directing, bad writing, and lousy casting.

The actors did their job well enough, especially Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro. It is somewhat of a stretch to believe that these two New York born-and-bred personalities are life-long based Los Angeles figures. This undermines the credibility of the film.

The supporting cast includes Val Kilmer, Jon Voight, Tom Sizemore, Diane Verona, Amy Brenneman, Ashley Judd, Mykelti Williamson, Ted Levine, Dennis Haysbert, Natalie Portman, Tom Noonan, Hank Azaria, Xander Berkeley, Jeremy Piven, and Danny Trejo.

The unwatchable “Heat” was a modest success in theatrical release for Regency Enterprises, Forward Pass, and Warner Bros. Pictures. It was filmed all around the Los Angeles area, including at Bob’s Big Boy in Burbank.