OMG Full Of Vigor!

The critics who panned it or felt it was empty do not understand the true depth Mann's achievement.

There are levels of nuance and subtlety in it, things suggested and not stated, varying degrees of shade and shadow that reaches the height of artistry, like the best film noir, French New Wave cinema, or the literature of Henry James or Virginia Woolf. In many regards, Mann is carrying the torch of the best cinema of the past, perhaps the successor of Antonioni's minimalism/existentialism (just one aspect of Mann's cinema), and he manages it while remaining fiscally responsibly to his backers. He is a juggler par excellence who adroitly manages artistic and commercial considerations--a near impossible feat and dance on the razor's edge. And he makes it look easy too.

On another thread, someone observed that the French seem to be praising this film. Let me say that only someone who has at least some understanding of the French New Wave (especially, A boute de souffle) can appreciate Miami Vice for all of its merits. This film is easily one of the best in the last 25 years of cinema and it flies low on the radar; only someone with a heightened sensitivity of the art and craft of film can appreciate it fully.

I only wish I had the time and energy to write about it further. I envy the professional critics who get the opportunity to do so. One Miami Vice carries the weight of 300 other films on its back, and supports the very foundation of cinema. To see that a good portion of the general public and many professional (American) critics fail to see this film's greatness is reassuring because it kind of confirms to me just how good this film is--great art is rarely appreciated in it's own time, if ever. It may be premature of me to place this film within the pantheon of other great ones, but intuitively I feel this is the right decision. It would make my list of top 50 films of all-time. Take a look at my list of top 5 and you will see where I'm coming from.

The stars must be aligned for Colin Farrel (sic erat in fatis), as he got to work with another of today's preeminent directors, Terrence Malick (come to think of it, Gong Li and Jamie Fox have been quite lucky as well, working with great directors in the past). These two directors, perhaps with Kitano and one or two others, are the best in the business today.

Miami Vice is the first film in many years that I know I'm going to see several times in the next couple months. And when the DVD comes out, I'm going to pick it up immediately, with no reservations. I'm only disheartened that so few can look past the surface banalites of the gunplay.

[please read the posts I have made on this thread for a further explanation of all of the above]