The Heat

The casting of Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy was in inspired combination and a throw back to the Cagney and Lacy and buddy cop movies of the 80's. Even the opening title sequence pays an homage. Bridesmaids director Paul Feig worked from a script by Parks and Recreations writer Kate Dippold. It brings together an amusing take on the genre that has mostly been male dominated without reducing the women to mean spirited shrewishness.

Bullock plays FBI Agent Sarah Ashburn, a straitlaced, efficient, highly skilled professional who has a record number of busts, but gets no respect from her co-workers. It doesn't help that she is egotistical, in your face, and rubs everyone the wrong way. Her boss (Demián Bichir) says that he will consider her for a promotion if she investigates a drug lord the elusive Larkin, but she will have to go to Boston to do it. She meets up with Boston cop Mullins (McCarthy) who just busted a street dealer Rojas (Spoken Reasons) who may have connections to her case. Mullins is a hard nosed, slovenly dressed detective that plays by her own rules. She bullies everyone in her precinct including her boss. Butting heads of the two hard cased officers of the law makes for some funny situations with a rash of some harsh expletives uttered by Mullins. Forced to work together, they somewhat cooperate with each other. Until they cross paths with DEA agents who are also working on the same case.

Dressed like a comedy, the movie does raise some questions on how much gender bias plays on woman in the workforce mostly populated by men. Each of the cops gets the job done. They may not be likable, and more independent in their methods, but they are still good law officers who want to serve the public. They have to endure endless insults from albino DEA agent Captain Woods (Thomas F. Wilson) and DEA Craig (Dan Bakkeldahl). It forces the women to grudgingly give each other respect and they bond during a drunken night dancing in a bar. It's been reported that the whole dance sequence was improvised by the two actors which makes it silly leaving behind a feeling of been there done that.

There's no no ground covered here. It's the formula oddball pairing of unlikely compatriots who both want to take down the bad guy and save the world. It's the buddy movie with women instead of men. The chemistry that makes this movie special is Bullock and McCarthy who keep their characters from being too over the top and annoying. Mullins attitude comes from her contentious Boston Irish family who are angry for that she busted her brother Jason (Michael Rapaport), Jane Curtin is hilarious as the Mullin mother. Ashburn has to steal the neighbor's cat to get some affection. The two women may not understand each other, but they are empathic enough to accept their differences through work. They are defined by their work ethic. Parents be warned the dialogue is full of F-bombs and the humor is mostly adult. Keep the kids at home, enjoy a chick flick date night that even guys will enjoy.
(Review by reesa)