Miami Vice (2006)

Miami Vice
Director: Michael Mann
Year/Country: 2006 USA
“This is a bad idea…and it has no future.”

After a joint-task undercover operation is spoiled with the murder of three officials, Miami Vice detectives Sonny Crockett and Ricardo Tubbs are assigned the undercover assignment of getting to the root of the cartel responsible, although their personal lives clash with their professional lives.

Michael Mann has a style and grace about films that entrances you, in my opinion. This is especially apparent in his crime films, which are driven by character and profession rather then laid back, hardcore badasses. In an age of horrible remakes and sequels, it seems like many are divided in opinion over what Mann is doing. Looking at this though, he has yet to disappoint me. Like his past films, Miami Vice is about two professionals who put work ahead of them, at the consequence of their personal lives. While it’s not as focused as the likes of Collateral or Heat, something glows in this film. Somehow Mann manages to make me sympathize with the lead characters without prior introduction.

It seems we are just thrown into this world. There are no opening credits or title, simply a blast into a club scene. Sonny Crockett and Ricardo Tubbs are two Miami Vice detectives building a case when it’s revealed an informant they’re working with has ratted out three undercover officials from join-task work. They’re killed in one of Mann’s most poignant scenes of action. Mann’s blunt realism of the attack put the audience in the back seat. It isn’t over the top, but it packs a punch I can’t quite find in many other films, even action movies that are over the top.

Mann’s eye for detail is evident all over. Crockett and Tubbs are assigned to go undercover to find the root of the cartel, which exports drugs through Miami based Skinheads. They don’t just walk into this world with a series of “that was a close one” moments. They’re in a drug world that’s never really depicted. Where the cartels realistically have counter intelligence that rivals the United States military. At one point Crockett remarks “this is what the CIA uses in Baghdad” when they’re phone signals are cut. Unlike other filmmakers, he also insists on real locations. He even scared away Jamie Foxx by filming in the Dominican Republic where a gang shooting took place on set.

A significant part of the film is dedicated to the love-interests. Tubbs is involved with a counter-Intel expert named Trudy, who he endangers by bringing her into this circle. Crockett begins a relationship with Isabella, an accountant for drug kingpin Arcangel de Jesus Montoya. He acknowledges that there’s no future in them, but he doesn’t end it. He wants to be with her, and carefully tries to convince her to leave this life without hinting he’s a detective. The identity crisis involved with their undercover works proves damaging to both of their lives, just like it was to Vincent and Neil in Heat.

While this isn’t Mann’s strongest film, lacking some of the character development he used wonderfully in films like Collateral, he still turns in a great work. Again he films in digital video, giving his film a new dimension. Take one scene on the top of a club with Crockett and Tubbs appearing almost as if they’re levitating with the bottom of the frame filled with the lights of the city, with only the sky above. The cinematography is amazing and even some of his best in some points. Take a point where Crockett is distracted by the vast view from a penthouse during a conversation with a cartel contact.

The use of music is equally great. Although the horrid “Encore/Numb” by Linkin Park and Jay-Z opens the film, the soundtrack is used very well. Take a scene where Crockett drives with Isabella in his boat during the day with Moby and Patti LaBelle’s “One of These Mornings” playing while when Crockett returns alone several days later in the evening the upbeat mood of the original is foiled by the eerie string section of “Sweep” by Blue Foundation. There are many other great musical instances from Moby to Audioslave but one of the more poignant scores is by John Murphy with “Who Are You” used with Crockett and Isabella to the effect Antonio Pinto’s “Requiem” and “Car Crash” had with Vincent and Max in Collateral

Overall Miami Vice is a great contrast to the horrid remake of today. Farrell and Foxx turn in very good performances along with the supporting cast. However it’s Mann’s touch that gives this film it’s dimension from it’s realism and professionalism to it’s stylistic beauty. I’d rather have the Mann touch then the Midas touch any day. I only wish Mann’s original ending wasn’t ruined by Jamie Foxx leaving the project. However the final product’s only major complaint from me is the lack of character development that’s evident in Mann’s other work.

CREDITS
Director
Michael Mann
Producer
Michael Mann & Pieter Jan Brugge
Writers
Michael Mann
- based on TV show "Miami Vice" by Anthony Yerkovich
Cinematographer
Dion Beebe
Composer
John Murphy
Editors
William Goldenberg & Paul Rubell
Production Designer
Victor Kempster

CAST
Colin Farrell
James "Sonny" Crockett/Sonny Burnett
Jamie Foxx
Ricardo "Rico" Tubbs/Rico Cooper
Gong Li
Isabella
Luis Tosar
Arcangel de Jesus Montoya
Naomie Harris
Trudy Joplin
Elizabeth Rodriguez
Gina Calabrese
Barry Shabaka Henley
Lieutenant Martin Castillo
John Ortiz
Jose "Cochi Loco" Yero

By the way, if no one knew what I was referring to at the end. Michael Mann had to change his ending for the film because Jamie Foxx refused to work after the gang shooting in the Domican Republic.

Any idea what that original ending was to be?

No. From what I've read, it seems Jamie Foxx was somewhat of an asshole on the set. He would only be transported with private jets and thought he deserved more money then Farrell and the higher billing because of his "Oscar status." They gave Farrell top billing but took a piece of his salary for Jamie Foxx.

The original ending was the shootout, but NOT in Miami. It would have occured in the baddie drug-running middle-man's homebase in that city(which btw many cite as probably the world's most dangerous place). Some that have read the screenplay swear it would have been a superior ending.

Anyway, you guys didn't know about the fact that the MIAMI VICE film soundtrack, or at least how much Mann spent...with reports going up as high as $20 million. I can't believe that, but who knows with Hollywood(for example, Bryan Singer's SUPERMAN RETURNS was a record-$227 million, production and advertizing included).

Or my favorite story, the one where Farrell and Foxx got in a fistfight.

While reading the box-office receipts, MIAMI VICE will take awhile to make its $135+ million budget back. A pity since unlike the other major summer disasters of this summer, from POSEIDON to the possibly-career wrecking failure of M. Night Shymalan's LADY IN THE WATER, Michael Mann's MIAMI VICE is actually pretty damn good.

Again, as DV states, its not HEAT or COLLATERAL. It's more like VICE being the CASINO to like those two great movies' GOODFELLAS. Many of the illegitimate opinions of the very wrong will eventually moderate their reviews in a few years to conform to a movie that will, like HEAT and COLLATERAL, receive much more accpetance on DVD. Then again, what else is new with Michael Mann?

Vercetti, you agree with me that MIAMI VICE should be at least nominated for an Oscar for Best Cinematography? Besides gorgeous and very gloomy digital shooting, VICE definately displayed the possibilities and quite near-future of digital filmmaking.

There's a great moment in Godard's Notre musique, where the director, playing himself, gives a lecture on Text and the Image. Somebody asks him, "Will DV save Cinema?" And he simply looks at his feet in silence.

When asked to elaborate on this in the bfi's Sight & Sound, he said, "Everybody's saying it's great because everyone can go and make films now. But just because you hold a brush in your hand doesn't mean you're a good painter."

My thoughts on Miami Vice.

...and further thoughts.

That's pretty simplistic and worse, juvenile in regards to digital cameras. I can't believe that opinion came from someone I respected. Not you Capo, the prick who said that.

Sure, many fucking hacks will take it, believing its the do-all gadget, and we'll see as that despite its great benefits, digital filmmaking of course has its drawbacks. Ultimately, it will be deemed as simply a new cinematic tool that again, only masters can wield.

I saw this shit happen with CGI in the 1990s, after THE ABYSS, TERMINATOR 2, and JURASSIC PARK. God knows that many believed that CGI in general was "stupid" compared to models or whatever.

Besides, remember how after Kevin Smith, Tarantino, and Richard Linklater made movies without going to film school or being interns or whatever, several people thought they could do it too...and of course, they couldn't cut the mustard.

What in that Godard quote do you disagree with, exactly?

There's a great moment in Godard's Notre musique, where the director, playing himself, gives a lecture on Text and the Image. Somebody asks him, "Will DV save Cinema?" And he simply looks at his feet in silence.

When asked to elaborate on this in the bfi's Sight & Sound, he said, "Everybody's saying it's great because everyone can go and make films now. But just because you hold a brush in your hand doesn't mean you're a good painter."

------------------------------------

Capo, I just hated how people think DV will "save" cinema(save it from what exactly?)

Besides, the negative hint that Godard gives to the "everyone" statement didn't exactly sit well with me. Yes some hacks will try to be moviemakers, and fail horribly, with DV...while some true future makers will make use of this new technology.

That is all DV is. Not a savior tool, not a tool for hacks...just a new technology that should be watched for how filmmakers will push its boundaries, much like Michael Mann did with MIAMI VICE.

I thought this was a funny review of Miami Vice courtesy of JoBlo

Miami Vice was one of the strongest films this summer. Sure. It lacks charecter development which is so prevalent in Mann's two most highly acclaimed films; "Collateral" & "Heat" but what is there to say about these men that we can't already deduce. We don't need their backstories. We know that these are two men who do what they do and do it well.

Vercetti, you agree with me that MIAMI VICE should be at least nominated for an Oscar for Best Cinematography? Besides gorgeous and very gloomy digital shooting, VICE definately displayed the possibilities and quite near-future of digital filmmaking.

Yes.

And Irish, as I said in the other thread, I'm not surprised considering JoBlo.com is one of the most mindnumbing critics on the net.

joblo.com is like the poor dumbass white trash version of AICN and CHUD.

No wonder Irish likes it. :p