Available at Amazon.com
Available to own or rent on DVD December 5, 2006
Director :
Michael Mann
Cast :
Colin Farrell……….Det. James ‘Sonny’ Crockett
Jamie Foxx……….Det. Ricardo Tubbs
Gong Li……….Isabella
Luis Tosar……….Arcángel de Jesús Montoya
Naomie Harris……….Trudy Joplin
John Ortiz……….Jose Yero
The Movie
On a smaller budget, expectations for Michael Mann’s cinematic version of Miami Vice would’ve been much smaller. With 40-50$ million to use, as opposed to the $135 million budget for the film, Mann’s usual $150 million worldwide box office would’ve been a tidy profit on the film. With a budget $135 million, Miami Vice and its $162 million worldwide box office gross make it one of the bigger money losers for 2006 considering the studio only receives 55% of its box office receipts. It’s a shame, really, as the film stands as one of the best of the year.
Miami Vice is an updated version of the 80s small screen spectacle that Mann produced revolving around two Miami detectives: Sonny Crocket (Colin Farrell) and Ricardo Tubbs (Jamie Foxx). Tubbs and Crocket are vice cops in Miami trying to infiltrate a cocaine ring, getting deep enough in to see the business from the ground up. Straddling the line between cop and criminal, Vice is a companion piece to his two other major films revolving around cops and crooks: Collateral and HEAT. They all focus on the same concept: the similarities between cops and crooks, personality wise. It’s all in the relations between them in Mann’s crime dramas, and in Miami Vice Mann explores another facet of this as the film’s focus is on the fine line between good and evil.
And while Farrell and Foxx aren’t as skilled or as established as some of Mann’s prior stars, they work well together on the screen and show a tremendous chemistry. They’ve been partners long enough that glances and simple answers communicate much more than Shakespearean dialogues. Mann’s intensity is more than enough to counter any sort of acting guffaws on their behalf. Mann wisely plays to both of their strengths and allows their physical presence to do more than dialogue would; this is character development by omission. We learn more by what he leaves out than what he puts in to these two; Mann’s writing isn’t up to par to his previous efforts but his directing is much more focused because of it. It forces him to give a much stronger directorial effort than usual, as he crafts his story and uses more action sequences than he has in the past.
Ditching the 80s wardrobe and Phil Collins-fueled soundtrack, Mann isn’t just adapting the television show. He’s taking characters he developed and crafted 20 years ago and starting the story anew with new actors in the lead. The key to the film rests on two things: intensity and a lack of development. Mann’s films always have a certain level of tension and intense reactions in them, as they are his trademark, but in this latest film the levels of both are much higher than normal. Crocket and Tubbs are hot on the trail of Jose Yero (John Ortiz) and Arcángel de Jesús Montoya (Luis Tosar); Montoya is shipping drugs and weapons out of South America and into the U.S. Yero is the middleman between the cops and Montoya, a merciless pit bull of an assistant. Deputized by the FBI, Crocket and Tubbs infiltrate the system by running shipments of drugs for them into Miami. As they delve deeper into the foray, and Crockett goes deeper into an illicit relationship with Montoya’s girlfriend (Gong Li), the two have to stay alive while trying to bring the criminals to justice.
What makes Miami Vice different is that there isn’t an exposition or an opening act to introduce the audience to the proceedings. We don’t know much about either of the two as the film starts, nor do we learn much about them as the film goes on, but this makes the movie work on a much deeper level. Crockett and Tubbs are undercover vice cops, used to crafting new identities and personas for the situation, and as such establishing identities and traits is something that would detract from the film’s focus. Both men are hardened tough guys, willing to maim and kill people if the situation calls for it, and their lack of a deep identity is in touch with the sort of characters they are. These are good cops, and underneath it good men, but they are also violent and brutal at the drop of a hat. They’re fascinating to watch, as they’re doing the right thing but perhaps not in the “right” way.
And Mann goes to the film’s best feature, his action sequences, as a mean’s of keeping the film’s intensity up to an insanely high degree. These aren’t clichéd Hollywood action scenes, with big explosions and slightly graphic wounds. It’s graphic and intense, definitely not for the weak of heart, but Mann matches the film’s dramatic intensity with its action intensity. These are violent people in a violent world; Mann doesn’t sugarcoat any of it. The final shootout alone is perhaps the yea’s most violent, going neck and neck with the finale of The Departed in both violence and intensity.
While Miami Vice may not be as strong a film as Mann’s other work, it’s on par with Thief in quality and worthy companion piece to his prior work.
Notes on the Directo’s Cut Edition: Mann has included another 15 minutes or so of footage into the DVD cut. Most of it is rather innocuous, as a scene here and there are included, but the most material is reserved up front in the beginning. The film opens up a bit longer and more extended than the regular edition of the film. The film quality is about the same, as nothing added improves or takes away from the film’s quality.
The Audio
Presented in a Dolby Digital 5.1 format, this is a terrific audio component. The sound is separated well, taking full advantage of the format. The intensity of the film comes through well, as this may be the best sounding Mann film on DVD yet.
The Video
Presented in a widescreen format with a 2.40:1 aspect ratio, the film’s vibrant colors come through wonderfully. The film’s colorful scenery, especially in the opening at the club, is flawless on DVD.
The Extras
Miami Vice Undercover is a featurette which focuses on the real world of undercover that Farrell and Foxx get into. Featuring the consultants Mann used for the film, including former FBI agents and Homeland Security personnel as well as DEA and other various law enforcement personnel; it’s a 12 minute look at living the life that was featured in the film.
Miami & Beyond: Shooting on Location is a feature focusing on Mann’s willingness to travel to exotic locations to be as authentic as possible. It’s interesting to hear the stories the crew speaks of when trying to find places for Mann’s vision; his love of off the cuff places made filming the movie rather interesting on occasion, as the crew tells several stories about some of he places in South America that Mann found to shoot in.
Visualizing Miami Vice focuses on several things. The first is the sort of colors and visual styles Mann likes to use, including his commitment to realism. Mann’s films are always very colorful and it’s interesting to hear speak about how he likes to set things up, as well as to actually see him in action (which the feature shows). The feature also focuses briefly on the camerawork itself, as Mann specifically uses different types of cameras to achieve a smooth look and feel to the occasion.
Behind the Scenes Featurettes focuses on three separate things. The first is Gun Training; Mann’s films are always known for how his actors move and fight with weapons. For three minutes we get to see the cast training with the Miami Police Department in how to handle the weapons they use as well as moving in concert with one another in a simulated exercise. The second, Haitian Hotel Camera Blocking, focuses on Farrell and Fox, with Mann coordinating the camera to their movements. Mojo Race focuses on the boat they used and how they were able to equip it with working camera ports.
Feature Commentary with Writer/Director Michael Mann
| The DVD Lounge’s Ratings for Miami Vice: Unrated Directo’s Edition | |
