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Flying debris, Dead people free falling, flash of guns, the smooth speed of cars and the landscape of a city. These are some of the trademarks of Michael Mann executed with a freshness every time he brings a film to screen. There are a lot of critics who have labeled him a little too excess. But this is what defines Mann a man who takes beaten down subjects and shoots it with style. He is very detailed in his characters back stories which is projected on the screen through passing dialogs and emotions. Mann prepares himself by taking shots of where he would like to shoot and then begin his meticulous preparation for the film. He also takes a very different approach with lighting by sticking to many dark spaces to project well lite cars.

Some of his very strong works is the recent Collateral. This film turned Tom Cruise into a villain with a resemblance to a wolf. Tom Cruise plays Vincent who invades the life of a taxi driver and change his life in just a night. The film is very sharply cut in with scenes of killings which are structured with such precision it leaves you wishing there was more. The music also played a huge part in this film it set in motion a modern film noir. The film had some of the most memorable dialogs mouthed by Tom Cruise. Michael Mann gave Tom a lot of space to show some of his athleticism on screen. Another aspect of this movie is the Landscape shots from the top of buildings and from sides of mirrors reflecting from buildings. These shots gave this film a feeling of a different space giving the city a character of its own. His action movies are seminal works of art sometimes even taking from literature to give it a polished touch.

His most recent work Miami Vice also so a different permutation of the same landscaping used in Collateral. This was more of an improvisation by Mann. He had a even larger expanse in this one- the sea. This had its share of exquisite shots in water. For those of you who thought this was similar were just fooled. He created a mood which mimicked Collateral but the places and the situations were different. This film must have resembled Collateral only like the minds of identical twins. There was an extra filling of sensuality in this movie with addition of the exotic Gong Li. There is a homage in this movie given to Collateral with a suit she wears while leaving the plane. The same one worn by Tom Cruise in Collateral. The stage was more extravagant in this movie but still was separated by its unique eye for detailing especially with gun shootings. This movie made others in the same genre and even TV series look premature.

Insider is one of his strongest works which lies heavily on the performance of the characters and their back stories. This film deals with a law suit against Tobacco industry which eventually destroys the life of one man. There are some shots of terror which is inflicted upon the main protagonist played by the overpowering Russell Crowe which take your breath away. It gives us an indication to what extent this man was vexed by the government. There are points in this film when there is no hope left but that is when something like a mere paper which brings the characters smiling. This is one of those films in which a lot of thought has gone into to keep with the times and also get a birds eye of the proceedings in the film.

Another one of his lesser known works is Ali. This film takes us through the life of a man whose only brute force was his mouth. The portrayal by Will Smith makes us feel like he has been waiting for this one to come for a little while now. He almost pulls enough punches to leave some of his contemporaries sore. This one is a biopic which gives Mann a lot of room to improvise. But he chooses to let the character speak in this movie because of his beautiful personality. This film explores this personality to his glory days giving this film a shine. One of the most strongest moments in the movie is the death of Malcom X which takes a toll on Ali’s future. He almost redefines himself after that incident. This journey which this man takes is remarkable enough to make a contemporary film. Mann with his limited scope gives this character a rightful place in history by making a film.

All said and done Michael Mann is a visionary par excellence who reinvents himself at regular intervals. He stays with times by taking on all the new technology and incorporating it into stories which leave us asking for more.

Filmography

Thief(1981)

The Keep(1983)

Manhunter(1986)

L.A. Takedown(1989)

The Last of the Mohicans(1992)

Heat(1995)

The Insider(1999)

Ali(2001)

Collateral(2004)

Miami Vice(2006)