Heat

Heat (1995)
Action, Crime, Drama, 170 minutes
Directed by Michael Mann
Starring Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Val Kilmer and Jon Voight

It's difficult to hold the interest of an audience for almost three hours, especially in an age where people can't go five minutes without checking their text messages or tweeting about what's happening in a movie. Heat was made in 1995 when it was much easier to forget the outside world for three hours, and that's part of its strength.

The most obvious thing to mention is that Al Pacino and Robert De Niro appear on screen together for the first time, and it's the first time they two have appeared in the same film since The Godfather: Part II. Both actors are close to their best and their two meetings are memorable.

Lt. Vincent Hanna (Pacino) works for the LAPD. His job is his passion and he places it above personal relationships. He's on his third marriage and that is failing because he only gives his wife a fraction of his attention if he's home at all. Neil McCauley (De Niro) also has a passion, but he's on the wrong side of the law. He heads a group of thieves who are professional and extremely effective. Unlike Hanna, McCauley doesn't want any personal ties preventing him from being the best he can be.

McCauley has a favorite quote:

Have no attachments. Allow nothing to be in your life that you cannot walk out on in 30 seconds flat if you spot the heat around the corner.

The movie shows us how effective McCauley's crew is when they rob an armored truck early in the movie. One of the crew, Waingro (Kevin Gage), is a loose cannon. His behavior leads to three unnecessary deaths so McCauley decides to kill him. Unfortunately, a passing patrol car distracts McCauley and allows Waingro to escape. He's a constant source of trouble for the remainder of the story.

McCauley's life changes when he meets Eady (Amy Brenneman). Instead of being a free agent, he's in danger of becoming tied down to a relationship. Will he abandon the idea that he can walk away from any situation in 30 seconds, or will she complicate things?

What sets Heat apart is the strong characterization. Mann takes his time establishing all of the characters, even if they have minor roles. As a result, we feel as if we know these people. McCauley's strengths and efficiency are obvious and we learn the roles and abilities of the other crew members. Mann doesn't stop there. We see one crew member, Chris Shiherlis (Kilmer), interacting with his wife (Ashley Judd). Chris has a gambling problem and it's affecting his marriage. His wife questions whether they should even be together. This type of depth is present throughout the movie.

Because we know the characters, it matters when something happens to them. Hanna's life is his job and he's essentially a hunter. McCauley is his current prey and we see Hanna using every available tool to find out what McCauley's crew is planning. As he learns more about McCauley, Hanna finds that he respects the man. They are similar in many ways and both are intelligent.

The most notable scene in the movie happens after Hanna pulls over McCauley in his car. He's not there to arrest him, but simply asks if they can have coffee together. The scene shows the personalities of both men and it's brilliantly written. Hanna mentions that it's his job to stop McCauley and that it's nothing personal. McCauley replies with a warning that he would have to take Hanna out if he got in his way. These are not threats, but calmly-stated facts. The scene is based on a real exchange between McCauley and Chicago cop, Chuck Adamson. If you think the scene is unrealistic, it really happened.

Heat is a drama more than anything else, but the brief action scenes are intense. The actors received training to make their shootouts appear authentic. Mann's focus on such details makes the whole story feel real. When we see people working at a crime scene, many are real forensic experts.

I can't promise 170 minutes of thrills, but the final scenes are among the most intense I've seen portrayed within the genre. All of the acting is good, but Pacino and De Niro understandably dominate things. If you enjoy character-driven stories, Heat is well worth your time.

Overall score 4/5

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100 Movies - No. 87: Taxi Driver

87. Taxi Driver (1976)
Drama, Thriller, 113 minutes
Directed by Martin Scorsese
Starring Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster and Cybill Shepherd

Travis Bickle (DeNiro) is a former Marine and a veteran of the Vietnam war. He frequently has trouble sleeping and is plagued by headaches. The pills he takes don't seem to help at all. Because he's likely to be awake all night anyway, Bickle takes a job driving a cab. He prefers the night shift.

Scorsese's version of New York is gritty and realistic. Most of the film is shot at night and we see just how crazy some of the people are. It's a crime-ridden world populated by junkies and prostitutes. Bickle hates how much scum exists in the city, and he's referring to the people more than the dirty streets.

Bickle is looking for something to brighten up his seedy existence and a woman catches his eye. Betsy (Shepherd) works in a local office for a senator who is hoping to become the next president. After pestering her for a while, she eventually agrees to go on a date with him. He talks to her in a very straightforward way. It's not clear whether he lacks intelligence, or if he doesn't see any point in hiding the truth about himself. His approach works and leads to one of the funniest scenes in the film when he takes her to see a movie.

Other things attract Bickle's attention. He's particularly drawn to Iris (Foster), who is a 12-year-old prostitute. As his frustration mounts at the disgusting state of the city, he begins to devise a plan to clean up one small part. An incident on the street gives him the idea of saving Iris from her situation and giving her the opportunity to escape from her pimp (Harvey Keitel).

It's interesting watching Bickle trying to escape his miserable existence. He figures out how to buy and use weapons and starts working out to strengthen his body. All the while, there's mounting tension, and we sense that Bickle is close to losing touch with reality completely.

The supporting cast is strong, with Shepherd, Foster and Keitel all playing their parts well. You'll also see Peter Boyle and Albert Brooks. One of the most surprising scenes involves a cameo from Scorsese. His character might even be the catalyst for the change which eventually occurs in Bickle.

I have to mention Scorsese's decision to shoot most of the scenes at night. It was an inspired choice and adds so much atmosphere to the film. Bernard Herrmann's saxophone-heavy score is also an important part of the mix and helps helps transport us into Bickle's troubled world.

De Niro has produced some incredible performances over the past 40 years and Travis Bickle is probably my favorite De Niro character. There's so much going on beneath the surface and De Niro portrays much of it with his body language.

The meaning of the conclusion is open to debate, but if you take it purely at face value, it's quite uplifting.

If you like Taxi Driver:

One film definitely worth watching if you enjoy seeing how people can lose touch with reality is Falling Down, starring Michael Douglas.

Fight Club is perhaps a more extreme view of mental illness, but some of the settings feel similar to those in Taxi Driver. It has that same gritty quality.

Scorsese has made so many wonderful films about a world hidden just beneath the surface. The best examples are probably Casino and Goodfellas and De Niro stars in both. For a more recent example, consider The Departed, for which Scorsese was awarded his only Oscar to date.

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Limitless: Everything is possible when you open your mind

Limitless (thriller, mystery, sci-fi)

Directed by Neil Burger

Starring Bradley Cooper, Robert De Niro and Abbie Cornish

20th Century Fox | 2011 | 105 min | Rated PG-13 | Released Jul 19, 2011

Video:

Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC

Video resolution: 1080p

Aspect ratio: 2.40:1

Audio:

English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1

French: Dolby Digital 5.1

Subtitles:

English SDH, French, Spanish

Discs:

Single 50GB Blu-ray Disc

Digital copy

The Film 4/5

Eddie Morra (Cooper) is a loser. He looks like he sleeps on the streets and his girlfriend is his main source of income while he struggles to write a novel. He lives in a seedy apartment and is more likely to be eating pizza and drinking alcohol than working on his book. His girlfriend (Cornish) finally decides it’s time to leave, but Eddie’s life is about to change for the better.

In a chance meeting with Vernon, the brother of his ex-wife, Eddie is offered a pill. He’s suspicious because Vernon was dealing drugs the last time the two met. After thinking about it, Eddie decides that life can’t get much worse and takes the pill. Within 30 seconds, he starts to feel different. The color palette changes from dull and muted to bright and clear and represents the change in Eddie. 

We are told that we use a fraction of our brain on a daily basis. The pill is supposed to enable us to use one hundred percent of our brain. Eddie finds that he can think clearly and work out solutions to difficult problems. He writes a book in four days without pausing to think how the plot should progress and his editor loves the result. We see him learn how to play piano and become fluent in the Italian language.

Eddie feels like he suddenly knows everything.

It’s interesting how a positive mental attitude can change your life. Instead of living like a slob, he cleans his apartment. Then he focuses on ways to use his intelligence to make enough money to permanently change his life. His new confident attitude attracts the girlfriend who dumped him. Eddie’s life is starting to look pretty good.

After making the news with a series of shrewd investments, Eddie attracts the attention of Carl Van Loon (De Niro). Van Loon is an ambitious businessman who craves money and power. He has no time to waste on losers, but gives Eddie a chance to impress. He reminds me of Gordon Gekko in Wall Street.

Eddie’s main problem is securing a regular supply of pills. He also has to adapt to their effects and discover a way to moderate his reaction. Like any drug, there are side effects to deal with. I won’t reveal anything else, but the plot is more complicated than I have made it sound.

The movie is advertised as an action thriller and Rolling Stone describes it as a “Full-tilt adrenalin rush.” Although there some action scenes, I wouldn’t describe it as an adrenalin rush. There are chase scenes, but the focus is on Eddie’s fortunes and there’s always an element of mystery. I found it enjoyable because I wanted to see what would happen next, but I rarely found myself sitting on the edge of my seat in anticipation.

The acting is good across the board. Cooper pulls off his role well. He’s serious when he has to be and whimsical in the lighter scenes. De Niro doesn’t get a great deal of screen time, but his scenes are memorable. Cornish is effective as Eddie’s girlfriend.

I found Limitless to be an enjoyable way to spend 105 minutes. There are two versions included on the Blu-ray; the theatrical and the unrated extended version. There is only a few seconds difference in running time between the two.

Video Quality 4.5/5

Limitless looks very good on Blu-ray. Detail is strong throughout, although we see more during scenes where Eddie is feeling the effects of the drug. Contrast and brightness are boosted during such scenes. Although the other scenes appear drab by comparison, there’s good detail and no problem with the transfer. Most viewers will be pleased with the look of the movie.

Audio Quality 4.5/5

The English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is more than adequate. The action scenes are limited, but the track delivers when needed. Dialogue is crisp and clear and I didn’t detect any problems with the sound. The commentary track uses English: Dolby Digital 2.0.

Special Features 2.5/5

The additional features all appear in full HD.

Audio Commentary with Director Neil Burger.

A Man without Limits (4:29)

Taking it to the Limit: the Making of Limitless (11:38) – It would have been nice to see a more extensive feature.

Alternate Ending (5:14) – I prefer the original ending, but it’s nice to see another possibility.

Digital copy

Theatrical Trailer (2:25)

Limitless has a few plot holes, but it works as a piece of entertainment. Cooper does a great job as Eddie and you’ll want to see him succeed. It’s hard to pin down the genre as it includes mystery, drama, action, sci-fi and comedy, but it’s more of a thriller than anything. I didn’t see the film in the theater, but I’m glad it found its way into my Blu-ray collection. It won’t change your life, but few people will regret seeing it.

Overall score 4/5

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My Top 20 Dramas: Part 3, #6-10

My Top 20 Dramas (continued)

Most of my favorite movies are dramas. It’s largely because important stories told in a serious way tend to be dramas. Acting is generally better and the story means something.

It’s incredibly difficult to rank films. Much depends on mood or which ones you have seen recently. The order constantly changes and new titles are added as I see titles for the first time.

With that in mind, here’s #6-10 in my favorite genre:

10. Jackie Brown (1997)

Directed by Quentin Tarantino

Starring Pam Grier, Samuel L. Jackson, Robert Forster and Robert De Niro

Based on an Elmore Leonard novel, Jackie Brown still feels like a Tarantino movie. At 154 minutes it never feels long. Tarantino takes the time he needs to properly introduce the characters and we know them well by the end of the movie. It’s essentially a heist movie with a little romance thrown in. It’s shunned by some because it appears to feature older actors and may be intended for a different demographic than his first two movies. I love every minute and enjoy seeing everything unfold. Jackson is always good when he works with Tarantino, but Forster and Grier have never been better. If you have avoided this due to bad reviews and like Tarantino’s style, check it out. Chances are you’ll end up appreciating it.

9. Inglourious Basterds (2009)

Directed by Quentin Tarantino

Starring Brad Pitt, Christoph Waltz and Mélanie Laurent

This time Tarantino gives us his version of a war movie, but it’s not like any war movie you’ve ever seen. The opening 20-minute scene is about as tense as it gets and is reminiscent of Hitchcock. The film is driven by dialogue in four different languages, so subtitles are used frequently. Waltz won an Oscar as Hans Landa, the Jew Hunter. The film is typical Tarantino fare with plenty of dark humor, violence, references to film, chapters and outrageous scenes. As always, the music fits the action perfectly. The screenplay was Oscar-worthy and the acting strong throughout. The 153 minutes race by and Tarantino casually changes history with his version of events. It’s a lot of fun.

8. The Double Life of Veronique (1991)

Directed by Krzysztof Kieslowski

Starring Irène Jacob and Philippe Volter

This film won’t appeal to everyone. It’s subtitled and tells the story of two women; one French and the other Polish. They look alike and have similar interests. Kieslowski’s story has several different layers of meaning and it’s something for viewers who like to reflect on what they have seen. It’s not a traditional narrative and there’s no obvious plot. This is not a Hollywood production. We never learn why the two women look identical or why they seem to share some of their feelings and experiences. That’s for us to decide and everyone will have a different answer. Irène Jacob, who later starred in Three Colors Red, is stunning in the role and plays it with a lot of emotion. The film is also about relationships and music. In fact, it explores several kinds of love. It’s shot beautifully and watching it is like entering into a fantasy world. If you like to think and find your own meaning, this might appeal to you. If you don’t like subtitles or prefer things to be neatly explained, skip it.

7. No Country for Old Men (2007)

Directed by Joel and Ethan Coen

Starring Josh Brolin, Javier Bardem and Tommy Lee Jones

Llewelyn Moss (Brolin) finds a suitcase full of money while he’s out hunting and decides to take it and go on the run. It’s a weird choice considering he could have left the country and never be seen again, but all of his other actions make sense. We see how he hides, fearing that he’ll be pursued. His caution is justified when Anton Chigurh discovers his identity and tries to recover what he claims is his money. The story is told from the viewpoint of the local sheriff Ed Tom Bell (Jones) and the resolution isn’t an obvious one. Chigurh is an interesting character and is afraid of nothing. There’s always tension whenever he’s on screen. The Coens picked up Oscars for Best Directing, Best Picture and Adapted Screenplay, while Bardem won Best Supporting Actor. It’s a unique film.

6. Fargo (1996)

Directed by Joel and Ethan Coen

Starring Frances McDormand, Steve Buscemi and William H. Macy

It’s tough choosing between Fargo and No Country for Old Men, but there’s so much to love about Fargo. The acting is excellent and the characters memorable. It’s full of dark humor and witty dialogue, and the story moves along at a brisk pace. The setting suits the mood of the film and Roger Deakins captured the desolation of Minnesota perfectly. I have a lot to say about the film, so feel free to check out my recent review if you want to know more.

Here’s the full review.

See #16-20 on my list here.

See #11-15 on my list here.

See #1-5 on my list here.

I’ll reveal the final five films tomorrow.

Feel free to let me know what you think about my selections, and what would make your Top 20.

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