Hi, my name is Matthew Pejkovic from Matt's Movie Reviews, and these are my Top Ten Michael Mann Movies.
10) MIAMI VICE (2006)
The 2006 film adaptation of the popular 1980s TV series "Miami Vice" stars Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx as James “Sonny” Crocket and Ricardo “Rico” Tubbs, undercover cops recruited by a joint agency taskforce to investigate Colombian drug baron Jose Montoya (played by Luis Tosar). Things get complicated when Sonny falls for Montoya’s financial advisor and lover, Isabella (played by Gong Li). "Miami Vice" is a visual delight with Mann’s flair for color taking center stage. However, Mann’s direction squeezes the life out of the movie, resulting in a claustrophobic film with one-note performances from Farrell and Foxx, who forget to bring any sense of charisma to the screen.
9) ALI (2001)
"Ali" portrays the life of three-time heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali (played by Will Smith) from his first title fight against Sonny Liston to the infamous ‘Rumble in the Jungle’ against George Foreman. While "Ali" is a great-looking biopic, Mann delivers a surprisingly emotionally void, tone-flat portrait of a man whose contribution socially and culturally has yet to be matched by any other sports star. Will Smith as Muhammad Ali works to a certain point. There is no denying the hard work Smith put into the physical side of the performance, yet the voice and mannerisms felt more like a great impersonation, rather than an absorbing dramatic turn.
8) FERRARI (2023)
Set in the summer of 1957, "Ferrari" centers on entrepreneur Enzo Ferrari (played by Adam Driver) during a crossroads in his personal and business life, with his marriage to Laura (played by Penelope Cruz) in freefall after the tragic death of their son, and the Ferrari racing car company close to bankruptcy. Enzo’s only solace is the secret life shared with his mistress Lina Lardi (played by Shailene Woodley) and their son, who is next in line to inherit the Ferrari legacy. The life of Enzo Ferrari proves to be the perfect subject for Mann, with Enzo demanding the best from those who work for him and represent his name, yet whose personal life is a wreck of trauma and duplicity. Complementing Driver’s engrossing turn as the ice-cool Ferrari is Penelope Cruz with a fiery-hot portrayal as the scorned wife who holds the fate of the Ferrari empire in her hands.
7) MANHUNTER (1986)
The first feature film adaptation from Thomas Harris’ Hannibal Lector novel series, "Manhunter," stars William Peterson as Will Graham, a retired FBI profiler who is brought back into the fold to assist the investigation of serial killer "The Tooth Fairy" aka Francis Dolarhyde (played by Tom Noonan). For further insight into the madness and motivation of The Tooth Fairy, Graham questions the equally notorious serial killer Hannibal Lecktor (played by Brian Cox). In "Manhunter," Mann delivers a sleek, neon-drenched aesthetic that inventively clashes with the film’s dark story to make for a unique crime movie. Peterson, meanwhile, is engrossing as the film’s highly intuitive and emotionally intelligent profiler who is drawn to the horrors of man.
6) PUBLIC ENEMIES (2009)
"Public Enemies" is an engaging crime epic that portrays the criminal exploits and pursuit of infamous gangster John Dillinger (played by Johnny Depp). With the public enraptured with Dillinger, the newly formed Federal Bureau of Investigation names the celebrity gangster “Public Enemy No.1” and promises his capture. Assigned to the case is top cop Agent Melvin Purvis (played by Christian Bale) who leads a task force to apprehend Dillinger and his cohorts. "Public Enemies" does not resort to gangster movie clichés to tell its story, with Mann delivering an authentic depiction of Great Depression-era America in which its villains were treated as heroes and authority with disdain. Johnny Depp, meanwhile, steals the film with his cool-as-ice depiction of Dillinger.
5) THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS (1992)
Michael Mann’s first box office hit, the 1757 set "The Last of the Mohicans" centers on Hawkeye (played by Daniel Day Lewis), a white man adopted by the Mohican tribe, who gets caught in the French and Indian War when he falls in love with Cora (played by a stunning Madeline Stow), the daughter of a British colonel. Mann’s move from brooding urban crime settings to rich rural landscapes sets the stage for both spectacular action sequences and passionate drama to thrive. Day Lewis, meanwhile, continued to build on his infamy as a method-actor extraordinaire by learning how to use period weapons, start fires, and hunt and skin game during weeks of wilderness training.
4) THIEF (1981)
Michael Mann’s feature film directorial debut, "Thief" stars James Caan as Frank, an ex-con and professional safe cracker who envisions a life after crime with his girlfriend Jesse (played by Tuesday Weld). When he reluctantly agrees to work for crime boss Leo (played by Robert Prosky) under the pretense of “one last job”, the fiercely independent Frank finds himself in too deep. A crime thriller that doubles as a tragedy, "Thief" displays a grim authenticity to its work-a-day heist exploits that Mann combines with high-stakes drama. Complementing is Caan’s excellent performance as a thief whose pursuit of domestic heaven turns into a nightmare.
3) COLLATERAL (2004)
"Collateral" stars Jamie Foxx as Max, a Los Angeles taxi driver who finds himself in a perilous situation when his passenger Vincent (played by Tom Cruise) reveals himself to be a hitman hired to kill five witnesses in an upcoming federal trial. Forced at gunpoint to drive Vincent to his scheduled “appointments,” a surely doomed Max must figure out how to survive the night. A taut thriller that features Michael Mann in his element as a director of character-driven crime cinema, "Collateral" also saw Mann implement the use of digital cameras with which he captured Los Angeles at night with startling clarity. Within this glowing City of Angels cruises a silver-haired sociopathic killer played with chilling intensity by Tom Cruise. Complementing is Jamie Foxx with his own terrific turn as the taxi driver who - despite having thousands of miles on his odometer - is living a life stuck in neutral.
2) HEAT (1995)
"Heat" stars Robert De Niro as Neil McCauley, an ice-cold, disciplined master thief, who grabs the attention of dogged and bombastic police detective Lt. Vincent Hanna (played by Al Pacino) after a carefully planned armored car robbery turns into an unnecessary blood bath. A somewhat remake of his 1989 TV movie "L.A. Takedown," Mann reached his creative peak with "Heat," turning in a superbly written, exceptionally directed, and unconventional crime saga about the relationship between cop and criminal and the people who shape their lives. A stellar supporting cast - with special mention to Val Kilmer, Ashley Judd, Diane Venora, and Jon Voight - all give great performances. But the real highlights (and drawcard) belong to the excellent turns by master thespians De Niro and Pacino.
1) THE INSIDER (1999)
Based on the true story of corporate whistle-blower Jeffrey Wigand (played by Russell Crowe), his battle against big tobacco, and the "60 Minutes" producer (played by Al Pacino) who faces opposition trying to get Wigand’s story on air, "The Insider" displays Michael Mann’s knack for stark thrills in this example of the shady relationship between business and media. Both Crowe and Pacino (two of the best actors of their respective generations) are in top form, Pacino especially good at using his patented ferocious intensity to devastating effect, delivering a performance reminiscent of his early work, yet backed by a wisdom he could not muster during his formative years.