Al Pacino and Robert De Niro are pitted against each other in this Michael Mann directed 1995 crime thriller. Neil McCauley (De Niro), a veteran career criminal with a crew specialized in heists and robberies sees an armored truck heist go horribly wrong when a new member of the crew kills a security guard, forcing them to kill the other guards as well as to leave no witnesses behind. This puts them at odds not only with the man whose money they stole, but also with Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino), a veteran LAPD detective investigating the heist. McCauley feels the net tightening around him and plans one last lucrative heist, after which he will ride off into the sunset. The central seen of the movie happens in a diner with Hanna and McCauley sitting across from one another over a cup of coffee, revealing two men on different sides of the law, but with the same work ethic and commitment to their respective professions. They both feel a mutual respect, but also wouldn’t hesitate to kill one another if the situation called for it. In the meantime, things get further complicated when McCauley’s former companion becomes a police informant and effectively ruins his heist plans. McCauley is then forced to make a choice between love and freedom on one hand, and settling old scores on the other. His choice will determine his fate. The film was praised by the critics not only for its suspense action, but also for its layered portrayal of complicated characters from both sides of the law.
Jason Segel collects puppets
