Miami Vice

Director: Michael Mann
Screenwriter: Michael Mann
Starring: Jamie Foxx, Colin Farrell, Gong Li, Luis Tosar, Naomie Harris
Running time: 130 mins
Certificate: 15

Miami Vice opens with our chequered heroes Crockett (Farrell) and Tubbs (Foxx) embroiled in a nightclub stakeout. Receiving a phone call from a distressed informant whose cover has just been blown, the pair soon find themselves travelling to South America to bring down an important drug supplier. There, they negotiate their way through the echelons up to the main man Montoya (Tosar) and his moll Isabella (Li).

The film begins with the pair in the thick of it with a sense of urgency, already enrapturing the audience in its sumptuous style. Basically, it starts as we would like it to go on – and for the first hour or so it does, and then it does again for the final twenty minutes. However, the focus in the interim is on the mutual seduction of Isabella and Crockett, which unfortunately interferes with the pacing.

No knowledge of the original '80s show, which director Michael Mann executive produced, is necessary to understand what’s going on – though that’s not to say that the plot's necessarily an easy ride on anyone, being variously muddled, underdeveloped and predictable. The monotone delivery of many of the lines does little to enlighten us to the specifics of what’s going on, but then Mann gives the impression that the plotline is the most important element.

What prevents Miami Vice from being the usual cop movie fare, apart from the apparently intentional lack of chemistry between the leads, is its dark style and distinctive cinematography. Along with some effective use of music and silence, this visual element goes to making some fantastic unique scenes, the most tense and memorable being when our heroes raid a trailer park.

The best, though not spectacular, performances come from Colin Farrell and Gong Li, whose side-story is well done and convincing, even though it does knock the pacing of the otherwise tense movie a little off kilter. Meanwhile, Foxx, who is given less to do, is blander than might be expected as the stoic Tubbs.

Overall, Miami Vice is more impressive in style than substance but for a handful or wonderfully conceived scenes it’s still worth a watch.




Also this week: My Super Ex-Girlfriend