Miami Vice DVD > Reviews > Cold, tight, detached professionalism

Author's product rating:   

Did you enjoy it?	Liked it
Story	Satisfactory
Characters / Performances	Good
Special Effects	Good
Soundtrack	Good

Advantages:	Fantastic visuals; intense attention to detail; atmospheric; great direction; partnership between Farrell and Foxx captured well
Disadvantages:	Lack of character drama; overly heavy storyline; visuals superficially come out on top; drawn out in places; distanced from audience

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Giving an extremely popular 80s series a re-do is no doubt a challenge. Indeed, it has been said that Miami Vice did for the 80s what the Sopranos did for the late 90s and beyond. Taking the basic premise of the original series and reshaping and condensing it into a film is a task that Michael Mann (who was an executive producer in the series) is well suited to. He's demonstrated directorial masterclass in Heat, the Insider, Collateral and Ali, one of the most competent directors around today. Not only has he adopted his own unique and brilliant visceral trademark, but his films have a taste for sharp, intense scripts, meticulous attention to detail, atmosphere, and tight, tense plots. Miami Vice holds all of these fundamental traits, and with the aim to live up to the series as well as Mann's past films, it is no doubt his most ambitious project to date.

Sonny Crockett (Colin Farrell) and Ricardo Tubbs (Jamie Foxx) are two hardline, professional narcs. Their jobs are top priority, and their partnership is built on a sturdy, but detached trust. They infiltrate drug trafficking organisations, and bring them down. The moment Mann opens the film in a throbbing, claustrophobic Latino club, they are on the job. But immediately they are thrown into the deep end as a phoney deal between undercover FBI and dealers goes wrong. Crockett and Tubbs have to recover the lost progress, entering a criminal underworld that is all too familiar to them, possibly more so than their own normal lives. With the aim to bring the organisation down from within, the plot complexifies as the partners' own personal lives get caught in the web of intrigue; for Tubbs it's his wife (Naomie Harris), and for Crockett, the girlfriend (Gong Li) of a crimelord. Soon it's not only the safety of Crockett and Tubbs that hangs in the balance, but this new personal threat that they have not before countered poses a new set of circumstances for them to overcome. The plot of Miami Vice is one that never relents, not stopping for character development, and is very much like the characters; business-like, professional, focused, and cold. It's a heavy story, with little to lighten the load, and requires concentration to be taken in. The hidden subtlety is that Mann allows the viewer to learn about the characters through actions and reactions, rather than dialogue. This is what immediately exposes Miami Vice to criticism.

The relationship between Crockett and Tubbs is one that is not built on interplay or conversation; their professionalism prevents them from indulging in this, and despite the fact Farrell and Foxx share a lot of screentime together, dialogue is minimal. However, there is an aura of trust that surrounds them that firmly establishes how comfortable they are in each other's company, firmly accepting the actions of the other, and having an unflinching knowledge and trust on what the other is thinking. As a partnership, they are one entity, formidable and extremely efficient. In many ways, Miami Vice would not work if it did place emphasis on their friendship and personalities, as it is a film that purposely diverges from doing such as it would corrupt the precise, cold professional nature of the film. Sentimentality is saved, and personal issues are pushed aside, and we rarely see Crockett or Tubbs snap or break their cool, calculated exteriors. They are used to alterations and dangerous situations, and are experts at handling them. The pair are like two brothers, quiet but close, interacting only when needed. Both actors play this silent, underplayed chemistry down to a tee, and while those seeking drama may not like this, it has to be realised that Miami Vice is 100% a crime thriller. Unlike Heat, it doesn't care much for sub-plots so it can build up personal lives and pathos for its characters, but remains completely on the job. Mann hits the nail on the head in portraying this, but while this may be Miami Vice's greatest asset, it's also its greatest flaw. As this narrows its accessibility, appeal and arguably depth, Miami Vice may well be criticised for being superficial, especially considering the emphasis on visuals.

Michael Mann has always been a gem for cinematography. One only needs to think back to Robert De Niro bathed in a cold, retro blue light, or the glowing city of L.A, backed by a bruised sky. In Miami Vice, Mann possibly succeeds in making his most impressively visceral film yet. This is Oscar material; striking, unique and very authentic. The day is sweaty and sun-baked, whilst the night boasts a sky dyed blood red by the concentrated saturation of city-lights, and shimmering reflections cast over fragile black water. Mann captures the airy retro of houses and apartments; the airless, tight feeling of low-profile underworld drug dens; the shabby, desolate quality of the slums and waste lands; and the wind-swept beaches of swaying palm trees and a restless, endlessly outstretched sea. The atmosphere created is nothing short of amazing, so much so that one can practically feel and smell the surroundings. However, what Mann would definately want to retain from the original series is the style, and as it would be hoped, he pulls this off. While wisely not bringing back the eighties, Mann clings onto and updates the flashy sports' cars and speed boats, as well as the designer suits and sunglasses. It may seem ridiculous, but it adapts onto the big screen with not a bit of kitsch or cheese, and immediately we can practically smell the aftershave. No matter how far Miami Vice can be slated, the style is undeniably a strong point, backed by some breathtaking cinematography and also a fresh and light, typically Michael Mann soundtrack. The cities of Miami and Havana are brought to life, especially the former, more so even than L.A in Collateral. This can, however, at times be somewhat distracting from the story itself. The visuals are so accomplished, and Miami so vividly portrayed, that the insanely complex storyline often fades into the background.

This is the main problem with Miami Vice; it's unbalanced. Pure focus goes on the visuals and the storyline, but nothing else ... and the story is as intense as the visuals. Like Heat, the essence of the complexities of crime are meticulously conveyed with no aspect ignored. But where Heat succeeded was in its balancing between characters and story, but Miami Vice, because of the premise of its characters, cannot do this. Instead, dialogue revolves more or less completely around the task at hand and it can be difficult to keep track. While the script is sharp and succinct, characterised by some impressive acting, the viewer can't afford to tune out for a few minutes, or leave the room. Each scene triggers the next, but is weighed down by the fact that the script is almost too good; lines are murmured quickly, and lots of names come up, and it's almost impossible to follow, especially when the audience is faced with some eye-catching cinematography and also scenery-chewing by characters. Indeed, the slow pace of the story doesn't help this, because in places Miami Vice is incredibly drawn out and the lack of character drama doesn't give it that extra drive to keep the viewer focused. Even Heat and Collateral, with their similar intense attention to detail regarding the plot but emphasis on character drama require a couple of viewings before everything is taken in. While these repeated viewings might make Miami Vice more comprehensible with regard to story, once this understanding comes, the little character detail no doubt makes the film rapidly lose its appeal. Furthermore, the very little subplot there is (which is between Farrell and Li at one end, and Foxx and Harris at the other) doesn't offer much in drama, though Farrell's suave, gruff but silently emotional acting is particularly good. Much like Crockett and Tubbs, the plot (which admittedly does come together towards the end) is one of the film's greatest assets, but again, one of its greatest flaws. Its cold professionalism and focus on the job keeps the viewer at a detached distance, and ultimately does not particularly involve the viewer, hence comes out of it as not very accessible and extremely limited in its appeal.

The Mann-esque testosterone is everywhere, from efficient tricks and plans, to the style, to the crime, to the gunplay. The latter is something Mann is especially remembered for, and doesn't fail to deliver in Miami Vice. The arsenal of guns is as diverse as it is impressive, and the tight but slow plot is rewarding by the end as everything is brought together by a classic Michael Mann climax. It doesn't quite top Heat, which features the most audacious and climatic shootout every committed to celluloid, nor does it match the tense, ruthless efficiency of Collateral, but it nonetheless provides some especially memorable viewing. But when it comes down to it, it's this visual quality and superficial aspect of Miami Vice that will be what is remembered, the plot slowly dissolving into the backs of peoples' minds and only being remembered for how confusing and slow it was, rather than how meticulous and detailed it was. It will also suffer from comparisons by fans to the original series, when such comparisons are fairly pointless since it works very much as a film in its own right. This isn't the series, this is Michael Mann, embelished with his trademark and style, and a film that for his fans is certainly worth seeing but will sadly be forever seen as the lame duck of Mann's films. His superb direction (possibly his best direction) makes the film what it is, but with regard to landmarks like Heat, Miami Vice is condemned to live in the shadow of past success.