It’s highly probable that Michael Mann deliberately narrowed his focus to the specifics of undercover work and the technology employed by agents infiltrating mafia networks. However, this doesn’t make the film any more compelling. Despite the attention to detail and high-caliber direction, “Miami Vice” fails to overcome its overall lack of substance. Mann’s new film takes the concept of de-dramatization even further than “Collateral” (2004) and pales in comparison to his classic “Heat” (1995). The film’s specificity feels like a blend of “Traffic” (2000) and “Lord of War” (2005), but without the former’s multi-layered narrative or the latter’s biting sarcasm, resulting in a drawn-out and ultimately bland experience.
Sonny Crockett (Colin Farrell) and Ricardo Tubbs (Jamie Foxx) inadvertently witness the failure of a major FBI operation aimed at dismantling a Miami-based drug network. As relatively unknown Miami-Dade police officers, they naturally step in to replace their fallen colleagues. Their cover story: seasoned gangsters specializing in the delivery of illicit goods. The next step, of course, is to infiltrate the network, reach its core, gain their trust, and, while transporting drugs, identify all the missing links. And then everyone gets arrested, because crime doesn’t pay. This bare-bones plot might suffice for a daily TV series, as it did in the 80s, but a feature film requires more substance. A mystery, a twist, a red herring – something to engage the audience and justify their time at the cinema.
Lack of Intrigue
Not for a single moment in “Miami Vice” is there anything truly intriguing. Mystery is virtually non-existent, offering only weak hints that are easily resolved in the next scene. Predictably, if the wife of a police informant is killed at the beginning, another wife will be taken hostage near the end. If a nighttime rendezvous in a deserted location results in the deaths of our guys, the finale will feature a similar scene where the bad guys get taken out. If the agents manage to fit in, they’ll eventually be reluctant to leave the game. If the drug lord himself isn’t against them, his second-in-command will try to eliminate them. And, of course, if the drug lord’s wife is having an affair with one of the agents, the focus will shift from drugs to the touching moments of connection between the two lovers.
Technical Prowess
One could endlessly mock the simplistic plot, but that doesn’t mean “Miami Vice” is entirely without merit. While it may not appeal to teenagers, fans of high-tech filmmaking will find something to appreciate. The film is exceptionally well-shot on digital cameras, and – in true Michael Mann fashion – without any CGI enhancements or action-movie clichés like endless ammunition or the absence of spent casings. There are no breaks, no moments of respite. It seems the film doesn’t aspire to be “art,” but rather a well-executed piece of craftsmanship. And as a “job,” there are many aspects that are visually stunning:
- The opening nightclub scene, still in the “vice” phase.
- The expressive suicide of the informant.
- The genuinely cool cars, boats, and planes in realistic settings.
- The clouds through which the plane flies, the Colombian valleys it traverses, and the Colombian waterfalls before the American ninjas.
- The loading and unloading of various illegal goods in all their useful details.
- The contrasting shower scenes of Jamie Foxx and Colin Farrell.
- Gong Li’s ageless beauty (she’s 40).
- The subtle facial expressions of Barry Shabaka Henley and Ciaran Hinds.
- The resemblance of drug lord Montoya (Luis Tosar) to Basayev.
- The seamless teamwork of the police squad.
- The precision and dynamism of the final explosion, standoff, and shootout.
Conclusion
If Mann truly didn’t need a cohesive narrative, if he’s reached a point where he simply doesn’t care, then “Miami Vice” can be dissected into individual episodes as a masterclass in directing. From a subjective standpoint, Jamie Foxx is more compelling than Colin Farrell.
Fox is smarter, more convincing, and more attractive.