The Heat

Movie Name: The Heat
Year of Release: 2013
Director: Paul Feig
Starring: Sandra Bullock, Melissa McCarthy, Michael McDonald, Demian Bichir, Marlon Wayans, Michael Rapaport, Jane Curtin, Dan Bakkedahl, Taran Killam, Thomas F. Wilson, Tony Hale, Kaitlin Olson
Genre: Comedy, Action
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 5
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Synopsis and Review:

After the tremendous success of "Bridesmaids", director Paul Feig tackled the first feature screenplay from Katie Dipold, who had previously worked on the show "Parks and Recreation" and "MADtv", and with whom he would work once more on his remake of "Ghostbusters". The film focuses on the story of two agents of authority, one of them an FBI agent by the name of Sarah Ashburn, and the other, a street cop by the name of Shannon Mullins. Their worlds collide when Ashburn is assigned a case in Boston, to capture a drug lord by the name of Larkin. In order to get more information on this case, she starts questioning suspects that are actually part of Mullins's cases, which with their very different work methods and processes puts them instantly at odds. As both agents get to know each other a bit better, they figure out a way to work together, particularly as they soon find out that there may be some corruption within the force itself.

One of the common threads to Paul Feig's films and central characters, is how typically they're thrown in situations where they're not comfortable, or for that matter, even have any interest in being there. That was case with Kristen Wiig's character in "Bridesmaids", again in "Ghostbusters" and even Melissa McCarthy's character in "Spy". This situation occurs once more with "The Heat", where Sandra Bullock's competitive, lonesome and socially awkward Ashburn, has to contend with the somewhat hostile environment in Boston, but also with someone who is the complete opposite in terms of habits and social skills, embodied by Melissa McCarthy. The whole allure of the film lies precisely in this pairing, much like Martin Brest's "Midnight Run", which had the pairing of Robert De Niro and Charles Grodin: the tightly wound character versus the edgy and unconventional partner, and the journey they take to both respect and support each other. "The Heat" does manage to give both lead actresses some funny moments, inserting some good physical comedy, but the characters themselves are not quite as well resolved, as what Paul Feig managed to do with "Spy", where Melissa McCarthy's Susan Cooper, gave just enough of a backdrop to make the character that much more compelling. Most characters in this film are rough sketches, with the supporting ones barely existing, but the chemistry between the leads manages to keep the film watchable and engaging. Michael McDonald, Michael Rapaport, Jane Curtin and Tony Hale, all provide good support to Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy. The cinematography from Robert D. Yeoman is solid as is the score of Michael Andrews. Watchable but forgettable.