Michael Mann’s epic, high-wire crime drama solidified the filmmaker’s mastery, and marked the first time acting virtuosos Robert De Niro and Al Pacino appeared together onscreen. De Niro’s scenes are masterfully controlled next to Pacino’s moments of white-hot anger, but their face-to-face encounter at a restaurant is the film’s centerpiece, and an acting master class in nuance and economy.

Master criminal Neil McCauley (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 (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

Reviews
"Michael Mann’s writing and direction elevate this material. It’s not just an action picture. Above all, the dialogue is complex enough to allow the characters to say what they’re thinking: They are eloquent, insightful, fanciful, poetic when necessary." – Roger Ebert