Heat Vs. The Departed (Ep. 0009)
Episode Summary: Cops and robbers are a sacrament of film. Once crime was introduced to cinema, filmmakers and writers uncovered its narrative power. Like any popular subject matter, it tends to get bland as films present watered-down versions and half-assed attempts at telling a compelling crime story. Fast forward to 1995’s Heat. Heat is art meets action in the form of cops and robbers. Instead of your standard crime drama, Michael Mann serves up a delicious character study that focuses on the subtle variance in moral fibers that put good and bad on opposite sides. The movie breaks wide open when you realize that Vincent and McCauley are the same people. They just happen to fall on different sides of the law. The Departed seems like a Scorsese rerun on the outside. However, it doesn’t take long to see that it’s not his age-old formula of “3 hours of zooming in on the thing that makes a character unbearable.” Instead, he puts together a giant cast and shows his ability to tell a story across multiple points of view. In this episode, the guys discuss how simply having a giant, star-laden cast doesn’t guarantee a good film. It takes a director and a vision. These two films are the ultimate example of how to balance star power and story. As for randos, the guys discuss the preparation that actors went through, Michael Mann’s attention to character detail, and the artistic design of these powerhouse films.
Movie Wars Scorecard
Best Top Bill Cast
Best Supporting Cast
Least Bloated cast(best utilization of gigantic cast)
Music
Neil McCauley Vs. Frank Costello
Gun Fight
The award for best police work
Best Criminal Enterprise
Worse with relationships (all the men of both movies)
Psycho Henchmen Wanegrow Vs. Mr. French
Which gang do you want to join?
Martin Scorsese vs. Michael Mann
Film Summaries
Heat: Master criminal Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro) is trying to control the rogue actions of one of his men, while also planning one last big heist before retiring. Meanwhile, Lieutenant Hanna (Al Pacino) attempts to track down McCauley as he deals with the chaos in his own life, including the infidelity of his wife (Diane Venora) and the mental health of his stepdaughter (Natalie Portman). McCauley and Hanna discover a mutual respect, even as they try to thwart each other's plans.
Director:
Michael Mann
Producer:
Art Linson, Michael Mann
Writer:
Michael Mann
Release Date (Theaters):
Dec 15, 1995 Wide
Release Date (Streaming):
Nov 19, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA):
$66.2M
Runtime:
2h 50m
-Summary courtesy of Rotten Tomatoes (https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/heat_1995)
The Departed
South Boston cop Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) goes under cover to infiltrate the organization of gangland chief Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson). As Billy gains the mobster's trust, a career criminal named Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon) infiltrates the police department and reports on its activities to his syndicate bosses. When both organizations learn they have a mole in their midst, Billy and Colin must figure out each other's identities to save their own lives.
Rating:
R (Pervasive Language|Drug Material|Some Strong Sexual Content|Strong Brutal Violence)
Genre:
Drama, Mystery & Thriller, Crime
Original Language:
English
Director:
Martin Scorsese
Producer:
Brad Pitt, Brad Grey, Graham King
Writer:
William Monahan
Release Date (Theaters):
Oct 6, 2006 Wide
Release Date (Streaming):
Oct 24, 2008
Box Office (Gross USA):
$132.4M
Runtime:
2h 32m
-Summary courtesy of Rotten Tomatoes (https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/departed)