Posts Tagged ‘Michael Mann’
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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Film Review – Drug War
Some of my favorite movies are the ones that start with the story already in progress. Michael Mann’s 2006 thriller Miami Vice is one of the first that comes to mind. The movie opens as agents Crockett and Tubbs are already deep in the middle…
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