"Let's take it to the limit one more time."
Universal Pictures / Forward Pass Productions
Starring a long-haired Colin Farrell and stoic Jamie Foxx, this Miami Vice famously got rid of most of the original show's most memorable elements, including the hit Jan Hammer theme song and mid-'80s neon meets pastel aesthetic in exchange for a self-serious, R-rated crime drama about the South American drug trade.
What has made the flawed but rewatchable film so endurable after all these years is the earnestness of its unknowable characters, precise action, vibe-based story beats, and deliberate filmmaking. It rejects most everything expected from a big-budget, contemporary reboot of a known property released during the height of the 2000s-era of mindless summer movie season.
Set around an FBI drug task force being infiltrated by a Colombian cartel, things inexplicably open with an unexplained but quickly abandoned prostitution ring bust in a ritzy nightclub that's mesmerizingly synced to the underappreciated rap/rock mashup anthem, "Numb/Encore," fused from two separate Jay-Z and Linkin Park hit songs. For something famous for taking place in South Florida while mining its cultural vibe explicitly in its title, the film barely acknowledges that sense of place before departing for the tropical but grungy locales of the Caribbean, Colombia, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic.
Anchored by Farrell and Foxx's icy on-screen partnership with no backstory to pad their chilly relationship dynamic as longtime vice detective partners, Crockett and Tubbs, the rest of the cast is supported by Mainland Chinese actress Gong Li, who strangely made her American film debut despite not knowing any English or Spanish, both languages she speaks in the film, and Naomie Harris, who act as opposing romantic types for our two undercover cop leads. Both refreshingly fail to adhere to our typical (sexist) expectations of the usual love interest archetypes as their strong female characters become deeply involved in the complicated criminal probe right from the start.
Shot in the middle of hurricane season, the 2005 film shoot was notorious for its difficult production problems, including Foxx's toxic post-Oscar-win behaviour, Farrell's addiction issues causing him to go directly to rehab immediately after filming, dangerous shooting locations in cartel-controlled territory, and run-ins with actual gang members who were then hired as security to ensure the crew's safety. It eventually went over-budget to the tune of $130 million while also necessitating a haphazardly reworked finale after Foxx left the production and refused to return to shoot the originally planned ending, claiming unsafe working conditions.
Still, Miami Vice is pure Michael Mann seriousness, with all of his controlled artistic style and obsessive tendencies on full display for over two hours. Mann's inexplicable dedication to his trademark warped ideals of cinematic authenticity makes the reevaluated film remake of his glossy, landmark 1980s police television show so dazzling and quietly contemplative, nearly two decades later, despite its baffling narrative artifice and nakedly uncommercial prospects. This is all accomplished despite stripping the franchise of its most iconic '80s neon aesthetics, chart-topping theme song, and memorable fashion.
Another Miami Vice film reboot, possibly starring Michael B. Jordan and Austin Butler, to be filmed in IMAX by F1 director Joseph Kosinski, inspired by the series' original pilot episode and first season, set in the '80s, is currently scheduled to be released by Universal Pictures on August 6, 2027.
More | YVArcade / AV Club / Decider / Uproxx / Vulture
0 reactions:
Post a Comment