Mini-Review: A fun comedy of ethics. A charming script that avoids most of Sorkin's bad habits, though it leaves the nagging suspicion that the real point of the movie is tacked on as an afterthought. Pretty much every performance is spot on, and I think Mike Nichols is beginning to enjoy a little career renaissance.
Mini-Review: Yes, each movie should be evaluated on its own terms, but after watching all five seasons of "The Wire," the cops-and-robbers schtick in "Heat" seems preposterous. With too many plotholes, and a poorly filmed and directed actors showdown in a coffeeshop, all you are left with are a few noisy set pieces and a great deal of macho psychobabble, wrapped into the "one last job" cliche. All of this is compounded by Pacino in fullout "shrieking actor" mode. What a waste of top-notch supporting talent.
Mini-Review: The first scenes, based on the short story, carry a terrifying sense of menace and pacing that the expanded back story, uncovered through an insurance investigation, fails to sustain. But the performances are good, and of course, it is all beautifully shot.