Not Coming to a Theater Near You

Miami Vice / USA / 2006

I have a feeling that reaction to Michael Mann’s latest film is going to be fairly severe in both directions and will somewhat polarize his fan-base. The film doesn’t feature Mann’s characteristic disquieting existential queries, but it still exudes his fascination with masculine performance. If nothing else, the film is a prototype of the professional execution that Mann constantly attempts to capture. A few audience members became very restless at Mann’s decision to delay his action (apparently they were unfamiliar with Mann’s previous work), but as is the case with a Mann film when the breaking-point comes the action-scenes are flawless, proficient, and efficient. While Foxx is always natural under Mann’s watch, the director is also able to make Farrell’s personality finally feel comfortable within his film, which appears to be difficult for many other filmmakers, and he assembles an equally adept supporting cast, including John Hawkes, Domenick Lombardozzi, Justin Theroux, John Ortiz, and Elizabeth Rodriguez (who might have the best piece of dialogue I’ve heard this summer). The one thing that seems certain is that Gong Li is just as gorgeous in digital as she is on film.

by Chiranjit Goswami | Source: Universal Pictures 35mm Print
01 Aug 2006 1:31 PM | Comments (5)

Comments / 5 total / Submit Comment

1. rob / 19 December 2006 / 4:29 PM / URL

   Which piece of dialogue would that be? The “only you get dead” bit before one of the most insanely precise rounds ever fired in film history?

2. Chiranjit / 20 December 2006 / 7:07 AM / URL

   Yeah, I believe I was referring to the “only you get dead” bit, though I was more beguiled by the preliminary lines of her macho-monologue. You have to love it when she tells you exactly how it’s going to happen and then delivers on her promise without the slightest hesitation.

3. leo / 20 December 2006 / 7:56 AM / URL

   Not that one needs to parse these things, but I think the more important part of this monologue is that it confuses and distracts the nasty white supremacist (how great is it that the bad guys in this movie are white supremacists?), not that it is necessarily scientifically (or ballistically) accurate. I just figured this allowed her to shoot him in the face while he was concocting a wise-ass response of his own and his finger wasn’t so itchy on the detonator.

   But, yeah, I’ve now watched this movie too many times.

4. Chiranjit / 20 December 2006 / 8:30 AM / URL

   The ballistic/scientific accuracy was impressive, but I just love how matter-of-fact she is about the entire scenario. I also appreciated that the filmmakers abruptly cut off any wise-ass response.

5. rob / 21 December 2006 / 7:05 AM / URL

   Yeah, I figured you meant the entire monologue. Sweet stuff. First time I saw it in theaters, it just blew my mind….I’m trying to come up with my favorite “moment” out of any movie this year, and this one is definitely in the running (a friend prefers Foxx’s faked premature ejaculation, but that’s another story…). I’ve seen it five times now (twice in theaters, once on DVD, once UR on DVD, once with commentary), so I’m stopping and moving on to the rest of Mann’s catalogue.