Heat

Logan VanHook knows ball. Dayum. They casted gods of the medium, handed them a flawless script and said go play. I think this de Niro performance is the best of all time. There are so many sequences I simply smiled as wide as I can just chuckled at what I was watching. Unreal. . You’ve got two egocentric prideful geniuses of their craft at odds, neither one wishing to relent the thrill of the chase or adrenaline from running. Both characters have an out. They both are conflicted with their personal lives and the demons those face, and both are presented outs countless times throughout the film. But they just can’t stand to quit. I think I love this movie in nearly the exact same way and for the exact same reason that I loved Sinners. Before, or while, it presents the stakes, it makes you care about the characters. That’s perfect writing. I loved, too, how the film builds the world, builds the tension for 140 minutes and then PAYS IT OFF in the final 30. It’s a satisfying watch and exec. One of my favorite moments that stands out is the coffee scene. In a film with a perfect score accentuating every move (including the pool scene with Vincent and the victim’s mother HOLY SCORE!!!) they intentionally had nothing but the dialogue between Pacino and De Niro, which only amplified the intensity of the scene. I don’t know man. This is going to be in dangerous conversations in my favorites. I didn’t know I could even like this genre. It’s way less action heavy than I expected, and even when THAT scene hits at the two hour mark, I was enthralled by it. Best fight sequence OAT? Not sure I’ve ever felt more alive watching a movie than the coming to a head. Lastly, what makes this movie so incredible to me for my personal instant love for it is the way it portrays a beautiful contrast between these hardasses and their home lives. I felt for the getaway driver and his wife when she saw the report in the bar. I was rooting for Neil and Eady in a movie about Neil being a ruthless criminal mastermind. I felt for Vincent, and his failing marriage and hurting stepdaughter. I cared about Chris and his wife cheating on him while he can’t shake his gambling addiction. I cared about it all, which only made the technical side of this film even more admirable. It’s wonderfully written, shot, scored and written. And perhaps most of all, the two leads might be the strongest I’ve ever seen (especially considering the grandiosity of the film. Idk. I could say much more but I also, even still, cannot begin to articulate how great this was. It’s a perfect film. For now… To play it a little safe… this sits #10.