Re: THE FAMOUS DIRECTORS CHECKLIST SERIES - Volume #67 - The Films of MICHAEL MANN
Miami Vice: Director's Cut: ****
-one of a kind; the whole film is a second act. No setup, no resolution, no character development, no exposition. This isn't a story, or a plot. It's us following around 2 guys in South America for 2 hours, and it's intoxicating.
Collateral: ***1/2
-as an LA native, this is magical. The narrative and its resolution function both as an antithesis to Cruise's post shootout monologue as well as an education for Foxx, with Cruise being the unknowing teacher (a la the da Vinci "poor is the pupil" quote)
Ali: Director's Cut: ****
Mann's masterpiece, along with Heat. An impossibly great film on every front, particularly in its ability to communicate ideas and information without using dialogue. Mann utilizes the cinema form to an extent fuller than any of his previous works. A work far ahead of its time. Films are not supposed to be this exhileratingly great. The use of music is extraordinary.
The Insider: ****
The best dialogue-only film of the new (I'm not going to say "postmodern") era. Mann realizes the potential of cinema and goes way, way, waaay beyond "filmed theatre," which is what this would be if most other people directed it. He can elicit tension out of a man sitting alone in a room.
Heat: ****
A multi-character drama with focus, that doesn't resort to Altmanesque intercutting. He takes the enormous potential of Los Angeles and runs with it; he himself has stated that LA is remarkably underused as a location in film, despite how many productions are shot there. He captures the sheer, colossal size of life in that city with great accuracy. An operatic and immensely satisfying piece.
Last of the Mohicans: ***1/2
Not a masterpiece by Mann standards, but a masterpiece nonetheless. The final hour, particularly the climactic scene, are astonishing. Day-Lewis, the score, and the economy of storytelling are also standout elements.
Thief: ***1/2
Caan signed on for the diner scene alone, and it's easy to see why- it's a masterpiece of writing, revealing a character, his view of himself, and how he wants others to see him in the space of 9 minutes. Mann's principal theme in all his work- people defining themselves by their jobs, by their work- is clearly delineated here. We feel the fullness of Caan's existence as he works on the safe.
Regards,
Nathan
