Any misgivings about terseness at a Q&A panel dedicated to Heat, a film in which men prefer to let their automatic rifles talk about their feelings for them, were quickly put to one side last night at the dazzling United Palace theater in Manhattan’s Washington Heights.
However withdrawn, De Niro was far from checked out, most engaged by the opportunity to reminisce with a lifelong friend. Discussing their preparation, including firearm training with live ammo, he deadpanned: “I robbed a few banks.” The evening’s most entertaining tangent saw Pacino sounding off about his enthusiasm for The Offer, the Paramount Plus series dramatizing the making of The Godfather.
Linson said it best when he remarked that “if you read [the script], the characters kind of sound like Bob and Al!” They were the deserving main attraction on a night rich in male camaraderie, fitting considering Heat’s muted macho romance between its dueling leads.