Posts Tagged ‘Michael Mann’
Film Review – Den of Thieves 2: Pantera
Den of Thieves (2018) was a hard boiled, testosterone fueled, cops-and-robbers thriller that had just enough good stuff to make it better than it had any right to be. Sure, we’ve seen plenty of heist films where skilled criminals played a game of cat and mouse…
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Film Review – The Killer (2024)
I’m not one to automatically disregard remakes of beloved movies. Sometimes a fresh new perspective on a familiar story can help us better appreciate the original. But there are instances where the very notion of a remake is preposterous. Case in point: The Killer (1989). John Woo’s…
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Film Review – Sympathy for the Devil
If there is one thing Nicolas Cage cannot be accused of, it’s taking a role for granted. Whether it’s a big budget blockbuster or a straight to video indie, Cage cannot operate at any level other than 200%. That’s what makes him so compelling – he takes…
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Film Review – Den of Thieves
Somewhere between a frat party and the take-down of an armored car lies this age-old tale of cops and robbers. A testosterone fueled cocktail of bravado and automatics, Den of Thieves is treading in awfully familiar territory. Though instead of being the bug it may…
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Film Review – 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi
“This is a true story,” are the words that open director Michael Bay‘s latest phantasmagoria of gorgeous violence and shoddy politics. It’s a not very subtle way to start a not very subtle film that centers on a hot button topic that’s held some domination…
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An Appreciation – Heat
Michael Mann’s Heat (1995) is the culmination of a career long obsession for its creator. For as long as Mann has been a filmmaker, he’s constantly returned to the same subject: the intricacies and nuances of characters operating on both sides of the law. Cops…
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Film Review – Blackhat
From top to bottom, Blackhat is a Michael Mann movie. All the familiar traits are there: tough guys, conversations over tabletops, dynamic cityscapes, and flashes of violence. It is a “Mann film,” but it’s unlike anything he’s done. Here is a filmmaker so focused on…
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Film Review – Nightcrawler
Los Angeles: a city of dreams and nightmares. Neon lights cut through deep dark shadows as a menacing score keeps us on edge. This is a city where anything can happen, and where people will do anything to get what they want. Dan Gilroy, whose…
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