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by Ted Porter Published: August 1, 2006
Much in the world has changed in the twenty years since the series was at its peak -- fashions, hairstyles, technology, audience tastes -- but one thing that hasn't, if writer-director Michael Mann's update of his landmark series is any indication, is the demand for drugs. There is still no shortage of enterprising men (and women) willing to feed America's need with shipments from far-flung spots around the globe and reap the substantial rewards, if they can survive long enough. Out to stop them, of course, are Miami-Dade's finest undercover cops, Detectives Sonny Crockett (Colin Farrell) and Ricardo Tubbs (Jamie Foxx). But there's a fine line that has to be treaded, posing as bad guys in order to nab the real ones. It's what Crockett and Tubbs do best, but this time they have to go way under, deeper than they've ever gone before. When an inter-agency undercover job is blown in the worst way, they're asked to help infiltrate the operations of a South American drug cartel. In no time the boys are in Haiti and Colombia, proving to the organization's mid-level guy that they've got the right stuff to transport a huge load of dope into the U.S. by way of South Florida. The question that Mann raises here is: Do they have too much of the right stuff? Crockett and Tubbs are going for more than a one-time bust; they want to bring down the whole organization. To get to the source they have to insinuate themselves on every level, and that includes dealing with the man at the top of the heap, an eerily calm Colombian kingpin named Montoya (Luis Tosar). They've got to walk the walk and talk the talk, and they do it well, but if you do it for long enough, is there a point at which you're no longer just pretending? Tubbs manages to keep his distance, but there is the suggestion that Crockett may be enjoying the act a little too much, especially when he begins a torrid affair with Montoya's business partner and occasional girlfriend, Isabella (the outrageously lovely Gong Li). Like the best episodes of the television show, this "Miami Vice" is a fusion of action and mood, alternating scenes of tense conversation or sudden, brutal violence with moments of brooding reflection and intense, if subdued, emotion. There are the cool, glittering cityscapes at night; the expansive shots of high-speed boats skimming across the ocean; the wordless stretches of getting from one place to another, punctuated effectively by just the right music; and the seductive pleasures of luxury, sex, endless money, and boundless freedom to be had by those willing to play the stakes. But in many ways this is also a grimmer, less glamorous take on that world. Gone, or at least minimized, are the more superficial trappings of the show: the flashy sports cars, the lingering shots of girls in bikinis, the florid (and pastel) colors of sun-drenched Miami. In fact, we see little of Miami the way we're used to seeing it. The city is shown almost exclusively at night, at the deserted piers and derelict lots where dangerous meetings between dealers go down. The movie begins and ends in Miami, but the bulk of the action happens in other places: Haiti, Cuba, South America, the open ocean. Gone, too, are the touches of humor that occasionally lightened the TV show's serious air, whether it was Crockett's pet crocodile or the quirky secondary characters. It's a perilous business, and Mann never lets us forget it. Everything is on the line as Crockett and Tubbs try to balance the need to maintain their deep cover and the need to bring about justice. Either way they look at it, the situation is lousy, and they act like it. Barely a smile passes across either of their faces; in this job, apparently, glumness comes with the territory. Unless you're paying extremely close attention from the beginning and have an excellent ear for deciphering thick foreign accents, the details and mechanics of the drug-dealing story are convoluted and unintelligible for much of the movie. It's a good thing, then, that we're given two subplots to follow involving the love lives of Crockett and Tubbs. Tubbs is involved with fellow cop Trudy (Naomie Harris, of "28 Days Later…" and the "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest"), and we get a sense of a relationship that's genuine and deeply felt but tempered by the constant risks of the job. The main focus, though, is on Crockett's romance with Isabella. Swept away by their attraction, they're both conscious that it's a relationship with no future, even as they start to feel the beginnings of something more for each other. Li is quietly touching as she balances Isabella's stony business demeanor with the warmth of her affection for Crockett. A lengthy stretch of the movie is given over to their initial encounter, as they speed off to Havana to drink mojitos, dance, and have sex. It's an effective interlude, and the progress of their budding, illicit relationship through the rest of the movie is a welcome distraction from the relentless talk of kilos and drop locations, of who's using what kind of boat and who's supposed to be where at what time. While Tubbs's romance is neglected through the middle of the movie, both relationships are wisely followed through to the end of the story and keep the interest level higher than it might otherwise have been, because we know something more meaningful is at stake than whether the bad guys get caught or not. Still, the film has its problems. At almost two and a half hours, it's a bit long; some of the scenes of the drug dealers' business negotiations might have been cut without much trouble, since we're unable to understand most of what's going on anyway. Foxx and Harris are missing for large chunks of screen time, and it would have been nice to see a little more of both of these talented actors. Harris in particular is not given quite enough to do. And the film would have benefited by a more cohesive narrative thread from start to finish; as it is, some of the early scenes seem pointless once we reach the end, as if Mann had set up too many plot points to be able to resolve them all. As a result it takes us a little while to start caring about what happens to anyone. Nonetheless it's clear that Mann has become a master of mood and visual style, continuing what he achieved in 2004's "Collateral", if not quite improving on it. This film may not have the same polish and assured voice that that one did, but it's still a pleasure to watch the work of a director with this level of thoughtfulness and intelligence. If you were a fan of the TV series and of Mann's previous films, chances are you'll find something to like in this latest effort. |
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