4. Heat
The third and final Michael Mann entry on this list is my favorite Mann film. It also may be my personal favorite on this list. Heat is an enchanting crime saga, Mann's epic masterpiece that was unbelievably overlooked in its initial release. The story is simple enough: Robert De Niro is the crook, and Al Pacino is the determined cop intent on bringing the crook to justice. Now allow Mann to fill in the gaps with rich detail, depth of characters on both sides, a fresh look at Los Angeles and the dreamlike quality of the city lit up at night. On top of it all, the action set pieces - namely the midday fire fight in the street - are full visions of true choreographing brilliance.