Miami Vice

Miami Vice
Mann, 2006



I thought Miami was a puddle of crap when I first saw it, but upon second viewing I think it may have been a bit disappointing, but a far from terrible effort on Mann's part. It takes hallow, almost inhuman characters and puts them in a hyper realistic world. Why are they hallow? Bad screenplay? Maybe. Or maybe Mann was trying to reproduce a sensation of disconnectiveness in the viewer to replicate what it feels like the be undercover. It is as if the two main characters themselves are acting when they are criminals and acting

Atmospherically, this hyper realistic world mixed in with distant and unemotional characters makes for a very weird feeling throughout. As Lord Sidious put it to me, it is as if Mann has cameras following the characters around. We rarely, if ever, have glimpses inside of their emotional cores. Instead, all we get are the cold exteriors of both the characters and the world. This makes for a very cold, foreboding atmosphere, yet at the same time it is strangely melancholy as the movie does not resort to action sequences and jokes to keep it going. It simply feels like you are following these two cops around in the drug underworld and it feels very real. I should I also note that no one has ever shot Florida like Mann did in Miami Vice. I've been there before, and this is the first movie that has ever made me feel like I could actually smell the air or feel the breeze. It is hard to explain, but it defiantly lends to the atmosphere of the film which is one of its strong points. The cinematography is simply stunning in this film. when they are cops. This is why they don't feel real; not even they know what is real anymore. But the beauty is that the world Mann places them in is hyper realistic, both in the way it is shot and in the danger it presents to all the characters. This is no Hollywood action movie where the main characters are safe from harm. This is a realistic, dark and dangerous world.

Another point I really liked about Miami Vice is the way it portrays woman in the lives of men. If you look at any major decision made by any character in this film, it is in some way influenced by a woman. Miami Vice is showing how even a tough, unemotional cop or a ruthless drug lord will both ultimately be compelled by the very nature of a woman to make a decision, even if that decision is not necessarily a good one. It shows that even in a man’s world, woman always sneak in there and end up being major influences on them.

However, it wasn’t all good. As much as I liked the atmosphere, the emotional distance and the way the woman fit into the story, I didn’t feel very compelled by the story itself. Atmosphere can only go so far in a movie of this length, and I feel as if there should have been a bit more of a compelling plot, or that there should have been some time trimmed off. I think the film is successful now that I’ve given it a second chance, but I still felt my mind wandering at times simply because I wasn’t always compelled by it.

Overall, Miami Vice is often considered by many to be one of the worst of 2006. However, I believe this is because Mann created a film that so completely goes against the Hollywood grain that people saw it and had no idea what just happened. Miami Vice simply goes over your head when you first see it because it is unlike anything you’ve seen before. Mann manages to create an excellent atmosphere in that he creates a hyper realistic world and then places two very emotionally distant characters in it, creating a very odd contrast. The world is very immediate yet the characters are very distant, making for an odd sensation, almost uncomfortable. It isn’t entirely successful, as it does have problems keeping your interest do the skeleton plot, but I can no longer say this was one of the worst movies of 2006 as it simply is too strange to ignore.