Miami Vice

Has this banger been hiding under my nose for nearly two decades and nobody was going to say anything? By 2006 Michael Mann had already made a handful of films garnering different levels of success but for whatever reason his film adaptation of the famous 1980’s TV series Miami Vice appeared to met with distain. The film’s decision to barely acknowledge the TV show or stray away from action cliches helps it to stand alone as a vibrant crime thriller with Mann’s usual slickness behind the camera. Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx star together as Sonny and Rico who to me might be the perfect casting as Miami-Dade PD detectives working in the grey area of the law until it threatens personal lives. We are introduced to Detective Crockett (Colin Farrell) and Detective Tubbs (Jamie Foxx) who are working an undercover prostitution sting as Miami Detectives. After learning that a portion of undercover officers have been exposed it forces our characters to go on the offensive in an attempt to expose the mole and prevent further bloodshed by infiltrating the Colombian cartel as large scale suppliers. While their mission is difficult enough on its own it becomes even more so when personal affairs both new and old come into play. I understand people wishing Michael Mann would deviate from his crime/thriller wheelhouse but the man can cook. The vibes are low key off the charts from the various scenes and locations. I have no prior knowledge of the TV that shares the name of the movie which might make me enjoy it more than some die hard fans expecting something tonally different. There is really minimal character background we learn besides a brief mention of Sonny and Rico linking up in Pelican Bay and being close ever since which again kind of works here adding to the video game feel getting dropped into the situation. Some of the crispiest use of digital photography is on display here with equally captivating both night and day shots. Neon lights but specifically blues are a prime weapon in Mann’s creative arsenal. The few separate moments that Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx are on their own side quests are the films low points since they’re natural together when being the most suave cops ever. The crime dialogue is right up my alley and I’m a sucker for it along with a dynamic soundtrack/ club scenes. Luckily we get both plus a needle drop using Encore-Jay-Z/Linkin Park which is an absolute flamethrower. The unmistakable handprints of Michael Mann are all over the Miami Vice remake making it much more well crafted and complex than it has any right to be. A misunderstood gem of a film that will only go up upon further rewatches similar to countless others who have arrived late to a glowing modern day remake with more shades of Wong Kar-Wai than you’d think.