4. Vincent Hanna - Heat
Vincent Hanna is a man defined by his job. It drives his thinking and as a result his personal life has been decimated and he has a painfully estranged relationship with his young daughter. That devotion to his job is what makes him so effective as he becomes obsessed with Robert De Niro's career criminal Neil McCauley. A suspenseful respect appears between the two men and lasts until the masterful climax. Al Pacino is at his intense best here and it's captivating to watch him work, knowing he has the potential to implode at any time. His performance as Vincent Hanna is perhaps Pacino's last great one and his contrasting personality to De Niro's numb, calculated persona is eternally interesting. Hanna is ferocious and committed, and despite the depth and seriousness of the piece, he's ludicrously entertaining.