For beginners...
If you were around during the '80s and saw episodes of Miami Vice - Season One or Crime Story - Season One on TV, you've already had a sampling of Michael Mann's work. Contrary to popular belief, he did not create these two groundbreaking shows; he in fact executive produced them. However, his distinctive stamp is imprinted on them.
If you're new to the films of Michael Mann, a good start would be AFI - The Directors - Michael Mann, which gives a nice overview of his career and features interviews with many actors who have worked with him. There is a glossy, coffee table book, called Michael Mann (Taschen Film), which is good,with loads of behind-the-scenes photos (especially of his early work make this indispensible) but hardly the definitive source material on Mann. It is definitely a big step up from Michael Mann (Pocket Essential series), which has some decent factual information but a mundane writing style and needs to be updated.
Violent Streets...
Mann is best known for making gritty crime dramas. The two films that really cemented this reputation were Thief and Manhunter (Limited Edition). They feature intense, career defining performances from James Caan and William Petersen, respectively and really showcase Mann's ability to write realistic, thought-provoking dialogue and create incredibly atmospheric worlds for his characters to inhabit.
Thief focuses on Caan as a master safe cracker who makes a Faustian deal with the Mob and realizes that he has lost his independence at the price of material gain. Tangerine Dream's pulsating electronic score for Thief is available and worth checking out.
Manhunter is a chilling trip into the mind of a killer who butchers whole family to fuel his fantasies. Petersen plays a profiler who must come out of retirement and use his special ability to get into the mindset of a killer in order to find their motivation and catch them.
A Crime Epic...
The film that Mann is probably most remembered for is Heat (Two-Disc Special Edition) which features the legendary, first time on-screen together, pairing of Al Pacino and Robert De Niro. Heat is an epic cops and robbers movie with an impressive bank heist sequence that is one of the best of its kind ever put on screen. While Pacino does tend to overact a bit, De Niro is icy cool as the existential thief. There is also a great supporting cast that features the likes of Tom Sizemore, Ashley Judd, Diane Verona, Natalie Portman and Val Kilmer. You might also want to check out Heat (BFI Modern Classics) by Nick James, which is a very well-written, in-depth analysis of the movie. And, of course, for the completist, you can always pick up Heat: Music from the Motion Picture, which features some atmospheric music from the film.
Mann VS. 60 Minutes...
Perhaps Mann's masterwork is The Insider, a searing indictment of the tobacco industry and of TV network censorship. Russell Crowe plays a high-level tobacco executive who is unfairly fired from his job so he hooks up with a 60 Minutes producer played by Al Pacino and blows the whistle, stating that tobacco companies know cigarettes are addictive and continue to sell them to the public at large anyway. The interview is done and then CBS gets cold feet and censors the interview, destroying Crowe's life in the process. Pacino, understandably upset sets out to fight back and get his interview back on the air.
This is an incredible film that follows in the tradition of All the President's Men. It's stylish and incredibly engrossing when one considers that this is basically more than two hours of guys talking animatedly on phones. Of course, that is a simplification but it is a very dialogue, character-driven movie but Mann makes it incredibly interesting to watch.
It doesn't hurt that he has Russell Crowe and Al Pacino as his leads. Crowe delivers what is easily his best performance of his career as he completely disappears into his character. Pacino is very restrained -- a welcome relief from his performance in Heat -- and delivers a rock solid performance. Also of note, is Christopher Plummer's wonderful turn as Mike Wallace. He captures all the nuances and the ego of the veteran newsman. No wonder the folks at 60 Minutes were so upset at this film. Also, check out The Insider: Music From The Motion Picture featuring several key tracks from the movie.
Rumble in the Jungle...
While it received mixed reviews from the critics and a lukewarm reception at the box office, Ali is an absorbing historical biopic in the grand tradition of Oliver Stone. It is an epic with an all-star cast. Will Smith goes all out with his portrayl of the Champ and really does a fantastic job. The problem with doing a movie like this is that there is so much documented footage of the real Ali that any fictionalized account is going to have fight against it. Still, this is a really well made film with terrific performances... Very underrated. Good news for Mann fans, he recently released a new version of the film, Ali - The Director's Cut, that also features a top notch audio commentary by Mann. Definitely worth a listen. There are also two soundtrack albums -- Ali (Score) features more of the instrumental score and Ali which is more a various artists compilation.
Down these means streets...
Collateral (Two-Disc Special Edition), is a tightly-wound thriller he shot on the streets of Los Angeles with state-of-the-art digital cameras. Tom Cruise turns in one of his best performances as Vincent, an coldly efficient killer in town to take out 5 witnesses in a high profile case. He forces a cab driver (Jamie Foxx) to drive him around the city. This is a beautifully shot movie that features Mann in top form doing what he does best: urban crime films. There is also a nice soundtrack album for this one: Collateral
Smuggler's Blues...
It has been 17 years since Miami Vice ended its successful run on television. It became a cultural phenomenon and has since become one of the iconic shows of the 1980s. Michael Mann executive produced and acted as its guiding force in terms of look and style for the first two seasons, helping define the show’s unique look and imparting a distinctive cinematic look. Now, he’s revisiting Vice, this time on the big screen in a much darker, grittier version. Although, people forget that, for its time, the show was fairly gritty in its own right (within the confines of network TV) and featured a lot of downbeat endings where the bad guy got away or the protagonists won but at a personal cost. You can get the slightly more challenging (in narrative terms) theatrical cut Miami Vice (Widescreen Edition) or the extras-heavy Miami Vice (Unrated Director's Cut) which has a solid audio commentary by Mann. You can also get the obligatory Miami Vice soundtrack.
In conclusion...
And that is a run down of the important films in Michal Mann's filmography. Some may wonder why The Last of the Mohicans (Director's Expanded Edition) isn't mentioned? While this is probably Mann's most commercially successful film, it really doesn't feel like one of his movies. Sure, there is stunning cinematography and great performances but it feels odd -- perhaps the non-urban setting is what is so off-putting. It's a decent film, just not his best. I hope you check out one or all of his films. Michael Mann is one of the world's best filmmakers.
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