Posts by Mark Nelson17

redowl90, let's throw some bias into the mix just so it doesn't look like I'm one of those people calling this movie trash. I’ve only seen it once, and I didn't just watch it because of glowing reviews—I went in based on recommendations from friends whose taste in quality cinema I generally trust. That means my expectations were sky-high, which probably prevents me from being truly objective. If I were to sit down and watch it a second time without all that pre-existing hype or constantly thinking about the cast list, I suspect I might actually enjoy it more.
The harsh criticisms regarding the street shootout mostly centered on script inconsistencies and sheer stupidity. However, that doesn't mean the scene itself wasn't expertly directed, framed, and filled with tension.
I just can't stomach the fact that they managed to escape after a shootout like that, completely exposed and surrounded by the police. On top of that, they're dragging a wounded man along. It's as if they just happened to stumble into an area with minimal police presence, shoot one guy, and suddenly they've slipped away in broad daylight like they were just robbing a corner store.
To make a long story short—and since I don't want to repeat myself—this film relies too heavily on the kind of naive tropes you see in typical action movies. Since this film pretends to be something more profound, those clichés really ruin the experience for me.
As for Casino and Goodfellas, both are absolute masterpieces in my eyes, though I find Casino a bit more engaging and would choose to rewatch it over the other. When I saw Goodfellas for the first time, it genuinely took my breath away. Yet, for some reason I can't quite put my finger on, I don't feel the urge to revisit it as many times as I do Casino.

Regarding the thin character dynamics, what bothers me most is the relationship between Al Pacino and Robert De Niro. They simply don't work together as a high-level cop facing off against a high-level criminal. I fail to see the point behind Al Pacino's overacting in this film, which feels like a desperate attempt to prove his individual brilliance and intellect.
The way Robert De Niro is introduced to that woman—who is far too young for him—is equally clichéd. She meets him nervously, and predictably, they end up in bed that very same night. It’s all very fine, I suppose, but it doesn't fit the tone of a film like this; it’s a trope we have seen countless times before, and it feels incredibly hollow.
The scene where Rambo engages in a verbal spat on the street just as heavy police forces close in is the worst part. Characters get caught in the crossfire, wounded or exposed, and somehow a few manage to slip away through some convenient plot device, solely to set the stage for the grand showdown between Robert De Niro and Al Pacino.
I cannot bring myself to agree that the screenplay is excellent; quite the opposite. In certain sections, it leans heavily on typical action movie tropes. It feels forced, as if things are happening between the leads merely because they *have* to happen, just so everyone can say, "Wow, Al Pacino and Robert De Niro together!"
To be fair, the film does have its merits. Up until the meeting between Robert De Niro and Al Pacino, the tension was palpable and engaging, but it falls far short of being a masterpiece like Casino, for example.

That scene in Heat where Al Pacino and Robert De Niro meet for coffee—I’m not sure if Dante or Wyatt was aiming for some kind of spark or chemistry there, but it’s a disaster. "I’m a cop who works too much, so my marriage suffers (really?), and I’m a thief who can't afford to get attached, you’re charming, but I'd have to kill you if I had to, and vice versa"—all that other cliché nonsense they scribbled down feels like a forced, "iconic" moment between iconic actors, lacking any real substance.
Most of the relationships in this movie are built on incredibly shaky ground. If I were a calm, intelligent criminal like De Niro in that coffee shop scene, I would have told Al Pacino to go jump in a lake for acting so high-strung and theatrical; he tries to act smart but can barely deliver a single coherent sentence. The film might have some high-octane moments, especially in the first half—De Niro performs quite solidly considering how ridiculous the script is—but calling Heat some sort of masterpiece? Not even close.
Anyway, speaking of the subject, the last De Niro film I saw that actually impressed me was Casino back in the 90s, and then...

Action: Underworld Warriors
Thriller: Three Days of Condor
Comedy: Brian's Life
Drama: Dangerous Liaisons, The Diplomat (I suppose that counts as drama)
Western: Once Upon a Time in the Wild West (arguably the greatest film ever made)
Horror: Psycho, Predator, Witch Night
Sci-Fi: 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Matrix, Alien
Fantasy: Lord of the Rings
Historical: Braveheart