Heat (1995)
Heat is a 1995 American crime drama film written and directed by Michael Mann. It features an ensemble cast led by Al Pacino and Robert De Niro, with Tom Sizemore, Jon Voight, and Val Kilmer in supporting roles. The film follows the conflict between an LAPD detective, played by Pacino, and a career thief, played by De Niro, while also depicting its effect on their professional relationships and personal lives. Mann wrote the original script for Heat in 1979, basing it on Chicago police officer Chuck Adamson’s pursuit of criminal Neil McCauley, after whom De Niro’s character is named. The script was first used for a television pilot developed by Mann, which became the 1989 television film L.A. Takedown after the pilot did not receive a series order. In 1994, Mann revisited the script to turn it into a feature film, co-producing the project with Art Linson.The film marks De Niro and Pacino’s first on-screen appearance together following a period of acclaimed performances from both. Due to their esteemed reputations, promotion centered on their involvement.
Heat was released by Warner Bros. Pictures on December 15, 1995, to critical and commercial success. It grossed $187 million on a $60 million budget, while receiving praise for Mann’s direction and screenplay, action sequences, sound mixing, and the performances of Pacino and De Niro. Although it did not receive any major award nominations, Heat is regarded as one of the most influential films of its genre and has inspired several other works. A planned sequel was announced in July 2022
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Plot.
Neil McCauley is a professional thief based in Los Angeles. He and his crew – Chris Shiherlis, Michael Cheritto, Trejo, and newly hired hand Waingro – rob $1.6 million in bearer bonds from an armored car. During the heist, Waingro kills a guard without provocation. McCauley kills a second guard who attempts to pull out his concealed weapon, and Cheritto kills the third guard so as to not leave any witnesses. Later, McCauley prepares to kill Waingro, but Waingro escapes. LAPD Lieutenant Vincent Hanna and his team investigate the robbery. Hanna, a dedicated lawman and former Marine, has a strained relationship with his third wife Justine, and struggles to connect with his stepdaughter, Lauren. McCauley follows a code: “allow nothing to be in your life that you cannot walk out on in thirty seconds flat if you spot the heat around the corner”. He begins a relationship with Eady, a graphic design artist.McCauley’s fence, Nate, suggests he sell the stolen bonds back to their original owner, money launderer Roger Van Zant. Van Zant agrees, but instead arranges an ambush. Anticipating a trap, McCauley and his crew counter-ambush, kill the hitmen, and vow to kill Van Zant. Waingro murders a prostitute; Hanna’s team investigate, discovering evidence that leads them to the murder of other prostitutes, victims of a serial killer. An informant of the LAPD connects Cheritto to the robbery, and Hanna’s team begin monitoring him, leading them to the rest of the crew and their next target, a precious metals depository. Hanna’s team stakes out the depository, but when a careless officer makes a noise, McCauley has his crew walk off the job.