HEAT (1995) Pacino and DeNiro, mano y mano

It has that uniquely stylish Michael Mann look, and the two big stars' wardrobing, make-up and haircuts were never cooler - but otherwise, HEAT is mostly a fairly predictable cops and robbers flick. But ... after one hour, 28 minutes and 49 seconds, there is one unforgettable scene, moviedom's first shared screen appearance by DeNiro and Pacino. It takes place in a coffee shop for seven minutes, and every second is electrifying: a larger-than-life cop and a larger-than-life criminal on opposite sides of a small table and the Law, each with obvious respect for the other, each dedicated his chosen life, each knowing that to survive he may have to kill the other. More interestingly, the scene showcases the larger-than-life charisma and talents of two of America’s greatest living actors, each with obvious great respect for the other, and each knowing that he can – and at any moment almost does – blow the other right off the screen. It's like watching an acting class. (Trivia note: Pacino and DeNiro were filmed in the same scene but with separate cameras, so that the entire conversation could unfold in real time with minimal editing. It took about a dozen retakes.)