Midway through Michael Mann's superb crime thriller, career criminal Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro) shares a coffee in an LA diner with Robbery-homicide detective Lt. Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino) and tells him “I do what I do best, take scores. You do what you do best, try to stop guys like me”. The scene is of course notable for the first on-screen appearance of the two Hollywood heavyweights together but significant also for the exchange of dialogue that gives us a deeper insight into the ruthless determination of the two antagonists.

‘Heat’ is beautifully filmed and heavy on style but scratch the surface and there is much more here than expertly choreographed bank heists and shoot outs in downtown Los Angeles. The characters, their relationships and the lives they lead give Mann’s film a far greater emotional impact and substance than you would expect in most crime dramas.

Hannas third marriage is collapsing, his attention barely focused on anything other than police work. McCauley has a personal life that is virtually non-existent, his code being “Don’t let yourself get attached to anything you are not willing to walk out on in 30 seconds flat if you feel the heat around the corner”, a philosophy that is later tested when he meets and falls in love with Eady (Amy Brenneman).

Hanna and his LAPD team have McCauley and his crew under constant surveillance after an armoured car robbery ends in some unplanned fatalities. McCauley knows this and the inevitable game of cat and mouse develops with both sides trying to outdo the other and second guess their next move. McCauleys next move is, it turns out, one last major bank heist before he retires.

The robbery itself and the subsequent gun battle on the LA streets are brilliantly staged. Mann’s meticulous approach included bringing in British ex SAS sergeant Andy McNab to give the actors weapons training. ‘Heat’ was a game changer in how to make a modern crime film.

With the two main leads at the top of their game and an excellent supporting cast including Val Kilmer, Tom Sizemore, Jon Voight, Ashley Judd and Diane Venora, this is a near flawless piece of filmmaking.

Perhaps the most telling evidence of how Mann crafted a modern classic is best told in his own words: "This is based on observations. This is based on people I have met, people I've known, people I've sat with and talked to. Thieves, cops, killers. It's not derived from other cinema, it's based on research”. Essential viewing.