Until the catamaran shows up, itâs like a William Gibson novel.
Itâs considerably more vinyl-gold clad than Gibson.
Huh, and the funny thing is the chaotic mess of sea, froth, and air blasted up by some cigarette boat roaring by is a legitimate candidate for some use of the word âliminalâ too, even if its pretentious welcome has been worn thin by Gibsonâs countless imitators.
I understand that 98% of the world doesnât agree with me on this, but I really do think it is a brilliant movie. The âdialogueâ isnât much of course, but the visual storytelling is really something special.
My problem with this movie is that after having seen it and with the opportunity to sit slowly and read at my own pace I still have no goddamned clue whatâs going on.
thatâs why I love Mann, but I havenât seen this movie (loved the show when I was in jr high, though.) He tells the story visually, which is what youâre supposed to do.
The final scene of Heat, the cat-and-mouse at the airport yard with all those little brightly-colored sheds is probably ten minutes with no dialogue. But the story is intense. Compare with Antonioniâs darkroom scene in Blow-Up or when Brolinâs character is making the thing to fish out the suitcase in the vent in the Coenâs No Country for Old Men. No dialogue, in fact theyâre damn near silent. Thatâs visual storytelling, something most films could use a lot more of.
Actually, a great many of the younger generation of film critics really admire Miami Vice. Harmony Korine cited it as the primary aesthetic influence on last yearâs Spring Breakers. I was very surprised to discover that Catherine Deneuve was a fan, and quite hip to the filmâs unusual qualities: âI watched Miami Vice again. I hadnât really liked it the first time round. But even so, itâs a whole other way of filming, itâs fascinating. There is a force, an incredible energy to it. His films are very long, but there are no gratuitous shots. When he decides to film the nape of an actorâs neck, there is a real tension. Itâs there, itâs not at all . . . an effect. Itâs surprising. He makes you feel the weight of things.â In MV, Mann pushed digital technology to give the cinematic image a kind of electric hyper-vividness and presence which it never had before. I think heâs a genuinely great filmmaker.
And thatâs supposed to be a defense of Miami Vice? :-/
My dad told me some successful companies make fishing lures that attract and catch fish, while other companies can be successful making lures that attract and catch fishers in stores. That paragraph looks like it might not be helpful instructions for actors or crew to understand what they should be doing or capturing while creating the movie, but it might be helpful for catching studio execs when Mann is trying to sell the script.
Nope, just an indication that the poster wasnât alone in admiring Miami Vice. Besides which, Spring Breakers made various Best of 2013 lists, including those of Cashier du Cinema and the filmmakers John Waters and Edgar Wright, so Iâm not sure it gets automatically struck from the record on the basis on your apparent personal dislike of it.
The 'dialogue' isn't much of course, but the visual storytelling is really something special.
I and the immortal line âIâm a fiend for mojitosâ beg to differ. Deathless prose, that.
Or the hole-digging scene in Beckerâs lovely Le Trou. Squee!
re: âIâm a fiend for Mojitosâ
I always figured that Mann and co understood how ridiculous and contrived that sounded, and put it in there to make very clear that Sonny is lost in a sea of empty posturing. I understand that that is quite possibly hopeful thinking though.
I think he was forced to put the Mojito references in there due to Bicardi sponsorship.
I hate the ending of Heat.
Wrong way around, definitely. Same thing with Collateral.
Love the rest of the film.
Miami Vice, I tried to watch on a flight, didnât get on with it. Perhaps I should give it another go.
I found it interesting to look at the intro again - if you would like to, click the link:
and just for the hell of it, one of my favorite scenes from the movie, especially on a really really high def screen. (this version sadly is only 360p)
I donât know about brilliant. But I certainly enjoyed watching it.
had to IMDB that. I gotta check this one out 
