When it comes to crime dramas, Michael Mann is the best director of the genre today. The guy can take a "cops and robbers" flick and provide it with story, detail, characterization, authenticity, and just plain coolness. Thief. Heat. Collateral. Sure, he can direct a great movie outside the crime drama, just take a look at Last of the Mohicans, The Insider, Manhunter, and Ali. But it's the urban crime noirs that he excels at. His latest venture, Miami Vice, is another such movie.
I just saw Miami Vice this past weekend, and I have to knock myself in the head for not seeing this sooner. I even saw Taladega Nights before Miami Vice, which is a shame (Don't hate me too much, I had no choice in seeing the Will Ferrell dreck of a movie). After watching the masterpiece of Heat back in the mid ninties, I promised myself to never miss a Mann film, but I didn't expect to wait so long before seeing Vice.
Maybe it was the marketing, the less than stellar word of mouth, or the low box office after its release, but I was hesitant to see Miami Vice, and was actually beginning to doubt the brilliance of Mann. I don't know why, but I just felt that way. But this weekend, I decided to go see Miami Vice before it at least is removed from the theaters (which may be pretty soon by looks of the Box Office numbers).
I don't know what other people are smokin' up their pipes, Miami Vice is an excellent movie. From the main leads to the supporting characters, the actors excelled in portraying seasoned cops under deep cover and serious "we ain't playin'" crime lords. There is no establishing introductions to the characters, they are just there. At the start of the film, it's obvious that Crockett and Tubbs have been close knit partners for a while, where they can communicate to each other by looks alone. The baddies are equally as good(bad?). In one scene, Jose has his back to the camera, but you don't need to see his face to know that this guy is pissed and is contemplating his next move. And Montoya? He doesn't even have to speak (which he barely did). All that's needed are those piercing eyes of his, that seriously say, "Don't fuck with me".
The actors aren't the only excellent characters in the movie. Miami, Havana, and Columbia are also living, breathing characters on the same level as the actors, but that shouldn't be a surprise considering that Mann is at the helm. He can bring a locale or cityscape to life like no other. Even the freakin' clouds (and the planes that pass through them) tell a story!
It's known that Michael Mann is a perfectionist when it comes to his movies, and it shows, down to the little details. Admit it; If Bay directed this movie (and I only use him as an example due to many people incorrectly comparing Vice to Bad Boys), Crockett and Tubbs would have been using cell phones instead of the sattelite phones Mann had the characters use. Right? Right?
When it comes to firefights (and what's a Mann crime movie without one?), Michael Mann can really get down to the nitty gritty with the visuals and the authenticity of the audio. It's nice to see someone spray their submachine gun on an open target but miss because he's too damn far to make a submachine gun effective. It's also nice to hear gunfire matching the actual firearm instead of using canned gunfire sounds (the only other director I know that did this was the late John Frankenheimer).
Mr. Mann, I will doubt you no more.
8^B
Tags: Movies Michael Mann Miami Vice
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