White Heat

Shocking, visceral brilliance. Cagney's never been better (he seems to be operating at half speed compared to his early work, which I think is a good thing.) The direction throughout of the various set pieces is brilliant, sustaining some genuine tension that feels quite ahead of its time. I particularly loved the modern focus on various procedural aspects like tailing cars and tracking locations. Loved this.

One of James Cagney's last gangster roles is also his most easily remembered, not to mention his best. Spoiled with an outstanding supporting cast, he's able to cut loose as the remorseless, cackling villain Cody Jarrett, a flawed mastermind with two buckets full of emotional baggage. The film's plot is both simple and involved, with two very basic heist tales at heart and a whole slew of gripping tentacles that tie every footnote and aside into the big picture at its explosive finale. It's also completely unfazed by the idea of killing off major cast members - perhaps because there are so damn many of them - as it does so with no lack of glee or emphasis. Outside of the very opening scene (a train caper that doesn't exactly go according to plan) the plot is basically one long, bad idea that slowly, brilliantly unfolds into the inevitable climactic shootout. Easy to follow and to enjoy, it accepts no excuses from any perspective.