Singular goal this week is to have a solid streak of five star films every day this week. Just banger after banger of quality movies this week. I can’t stress how much I need this. My only caveat is I can’t watch movies I know are perfect 5/5 movies (No Heat for example). I know no one cares, but it’s my own internal goal.

That being said: had to kick off that goal with a Michael Mann movie. ALI was an easy pick. Unlike most of his other movies, I hadn’t rewatched this one as much. Big part of that was just Will Smith honestly. Wasn’t too big a fan of his even before the infamous “Slap”. Never thought he was a bad actor, even here. I just felt like his style was the same in everything he did, even when he played other real life people. Granted some movie stars use that to their own charm, like Cruise, Pitt, or Denzel, but with Will Smith, it always felt a little too forced. I’d remembered this one the least of his filmography, but I’m also a big Michael Mann guy.

With that context in mind, it’s better than I remembered. Phenomenal cinematography, set pieces, scoring. Acting was top tier. Michael Mann’s greater strengths is his world building. Just makes you feel like you are watching a documentary more than anything, even when he’s not doing an autobiography. Being that this one is, it just felt so detailed and sharp, I’m bummed I haven’t followed through with this one sooner. It’s been a few years since I had last seen it, so I was able to appreciate a few things here that quite honestly I don’t think I would have appreciated when I was younger.

Singular goal this week is to have a solid streak of five star films every day this week. Just banger after banger of quality movies this week. I can’t stress how much I need this. My only caveat is I can’t watch movies I know are perfect 5/5 movies (No Heat for example). I know no one cares, but it’s my own internal goal.

That being said: had to kick off that goal with a Michael Mann movie. ALI was an easy pick. Unlike most of his other movies, I hadn’t rewatched this one as much. Big part of that was just Will Smith honestly. Wasn’t too big a fan of his even before the infamous “Slap”. Never thought he was a bad actor, even here. I just felt like his style was the same in everything he did, even when he played other real life people. Granted some movie stars use that to their own charm, like Cruise, Pitt, or Denzel, but with Will Smith, it always felt a little too forced. I’d remembered this one the least of his filmography, but I’m also a big Michael Mann guy.

With that context in mind, it’s better than I remembered. Phenomenal cinematography, set pieces, scoring. Acting was top tier. Michael Mann’s greater strengths is his world building. Just makes you feel like you are watching a documentary more than anything, even when he’s not doing an autobiography. Being that this one is, it just felt so detailed and sharp, I’m bummed I haven’t followed through with this one sooner. It’s been a few years since I had last seen it, so I was able to appreciate a few things here that quite honestly I don’t think I would have appreciated when I was younger.

God I could watch 2.5 hours of the boxing sequences in this alone.
This is ultimately a film about autonomy, autonomy over your narrative, over your labour, over your identity, over your name. This can be seen even in the smallest of moments, in Ali's photographer wanting to stay 'freelance, emphasis on the free'. Ali is a man determined to exercise his autonomy in whatever ways he wishes, this brings him into conflict with the Nation of Islam, with the United States government, the media itself and with several wives. Given that this is a narrative of a man's autonomy conflicting with the restricting systems that govern his life, his movement, his identity; it's little wonder this is such a natural fit for Mann as a filmmaker.
The opening montage sets Ali within the backdrop of a tumultuous 1960s in America and draws parallels between him and other contemporary black figures, it also may be one of the best 10-20 minute stretches in any Mann film (seriously that early digital photography is beautiful).
Then the ultimate climax of Ali having to reckon said autonomy with the impact of his political and social influence during the final sequences in Zaire leading up to the Rumble in the Jungle is just great stuff.
I have a feeling there's a slimmed down cut of this I'd like even more but it's momentous, if a little directionless in parts, nonetheless.

God I could watch 2.5 hours of the boxing sequences in this alone.
This is ultimately a film about autonomy, autonomy over your narrative, over your labour, over your identity, over your name. This can be seen even in the smallest of moments, in Ali's photographer wanting to stay 'freelance, emphasis on the free'. Ali is a man determined to exercise his autonomy in whatever ways he wishes, this brings him into conflict with the Nation of Islam, with the United States government, the media itself and with several wives. Given that this is a narrative of a man's autonomy conflicting with the restricting systems that govern his life, his movement, his identity; it's little wonder this is such a natural fit for Mann as a filmmaker.
The opening montage sets Ali within the backdrop of a tumultuous 1960s in America and draws parallels between him and other contemporary black figures, it also may be one of the best 10-20 minute stretches in any Mann film (seriously that early digital photography is beautiful).
Then the ultimate climax of Ali having to reckon said autonomy with the impact of his political and social influence during the final sequences in Zaire leading up to the Rumble in the Jungle is just great stuff.
I have a feeling there's a slimmed down cut of this I'd like even more but it's momentous, if a little directionless in parts, nonetheless.

en vrai, il mérite un 3,7 étoiles mais t’as capté

en vrai, il mérite un 3,7 étoiles mais t’as capté

I feel like the movie’s quality steadily declined as it went on but it was still a great film

I feel like the movie’s quality steadily declined as it went on but it was still a great film

STRONG 6.

i hung a poster of a muhammad ali in archbold sophomore year. i tend to be well-versed in merchandise i purchase — and yet, not knowing nothing about ali, that damn picture of him yelling at sonny liston just capitvates me. i don't know what it says to me, but it sure says something, and i was hoping Ali would help me unpack that.

but the weak link is michael mann. of COURSE watching ali on screen will be fun. yeah, go ahead and add malcolm x in there because we know i'm gobbling that shit up. but, my god, how mann manages to muster up nought in a commentary towards ali's psyche is genuinely impressive. a disgrace to the politically conscious ali. will smith's not bad.

ali might fight three times and then cheat three times and then the movie's over. it's good, but the whole time i was thinking "i'd rather watch Malcolm X."

STRONG 6.

i hung a poster of a muhammad ali in archbold sophomore year. i tend to be well-versed in merchandise i purchase — and yet, not knowing nothing about ali, that damn picture of him yelling at sonny liston just capitvates me. i don't know what it says to me, but it sure says something, and i was hoping Ali would help me unpack that.

but the weak link is michael mann. of COURSE watching ali on screen will be fun. yeah, go ahead and add malcolm x in there because we know i'm gobbling that shit up. but, my god, how mann manages to muster up nought in a commentary towards ali's psyche is genuinely impressive. a disgrace to the politically conscious ali. will smith's not bad.

ali might fight three times and then cheat three times and then the movie's over. it's good, but the whole time i was thinking "i'd rather watch Malcolm X."