HEAT (1995) and Alex Colville

Director Michael Mann cites Canadian artist Alex Colville's painting "Pacific" as a source of inspiration for the scene (which really is the crux of the whole movie) where De Niro comes home to his gorgeous--and empty--seaside house.

HEAT (1995)

People always ask me what my favorite film is, and though it's pretty hard to choose one, HEAT is always in my Top 5, which is usually as precise as I can be. I'm still intending to write an extensive gush piece about HEAT so I'll keep this brief. The still shot above is from the legendary scene where Pacino's Det. Vincent Hanna and De Niro's thief Neil MacCauley share a late night cup of coffee. They know exactly who the other is, but also see each other as a kindred spirit of sorts. They are the flip side of a coin. What is incredible about this film, is that aside from the climax, this is the only scene that Pacino and De Niro--two of the greatest American actors of all time--directly interact with each other, yet their relationship is so intense and developed.