Mar 23, 2010

MIAMI VICE

I WAS SURPRISED. I FIGURED I WOULD SEE MIAMI VICE AND FIND A LOT OF THINGS NOT TO LIKE. SO, I ASSUME YOU ARE SMART ENOUGH TO REALIZE, AFTER THE FIRST TWO SENTENCES, I LIKED WHAT I SAW.

THE PICTURE DOES SOMETHING THAT I FIRST SAW AT THE MANHATTAN SHOWING OF APOCALYPSE NOW, CIRCA 1979 -- NO OPENING CREDITS, THE PICTURE JUST RUNS STRAIGHT THRU, FULL SPEED AHEAD.

IT GETS RIGHT INTO THE ACTION AND THERE IS NOT A LOT OF DIALOGUE, IN THE WHOLE PICTURE -- JUST AS WITH MISSION IMPOSSIBLE # 1 -- YOU CAN ENJOY THE PICTURE AND NOT UNDERSTAND ALL THE PARTS.

IT IS GREAT PICTURE TO LOOK AT - VERY SCENIC AND THEY AVOID ONE OF MY PET PEEVES, YOU CAN SEE DURING THE NIGHT SCENES --I HATE IT WHEN THE AUDIENCE CAN'T SEE DURING A NIGHT SCENE -- THAT IS CARRYING REALISM TOO FAR.

I DON'T GET THE IMPRESSION OF ANY GREAT ACTING - THE ACTION AND THE PACE OF THE MOVIE, DOES NOT LEND ITSELF TO ANY GREAT THEATRICS. I WAS IMPRESSED BY BARRY SHABAKA HENLEY, ONE OF THOSE "WORKING ACTORS," -
YOU SEE THEM ALL THE TIME, BUT NEVER KNOW THEIR NAMES -- PHILLIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN AND PAUL GIAMATTI, RECENTLY EXITED THAT GROUP AND BECAME KNOWN TO THE PUBLIC - BUT THESE FINE ACTORS WILL NEVER BE STARS, THEY ARE ACTORS OF THE FIRST ORDER; THEY DON'T OWE THEIR GENESIS TO A PRESS AGENT, AS MANY STARS DO.

YOU MIGHT RECALL BARRY AS THE JAZZ CLUB OWNER, WHO WAS A VICTIM OF TOM CRUISE, IN COLLATERAL.

THERE IS A LOT OF ROMANCE IN THIS STORY, BUT IT IS NOT A SIDE LIGHT, THE ROMANCE IS A FACTOR IN THE PLOT FOR BOTH JAMIE FOXX AND COLIN FARRELL. THAT IS A RARE OCCURRENCE, MOST OF THE TIME, ROMANCE IS THROWN IN TO PAD OUT THE TIME OR TO ATTRACT A FEMALE DEMOGRAPHIC TO THE THEATRE.

A TIP: THERE WILL COME A TIME IN THE STORY, WHERE YOU WILL BE PRIVY TO A LESSON ON THE ANATOMY AND FUNCTIONING OF THE MEDULLA OBLONGATA - DON'T TAKE YOUR EYES OFF THE SCREEN DURING THIS BIOLOGICAL DISCOURSE.

THE STORY IS NOT TRYING TO TIE INTO THE TV SHOW, EXCEPT TO KEEP THE NAMES OF THE SMALL SCREEN CHARACTERS. THE MOVIE IS THE MOVIE, IT IS NOT A COPY OF THE TV SHOW.

JUST AS IT STARTED QUICKLY, IT ENDS QUICKLY, YOU DON'T GET THE STANDARD "WRAP UP" CLUES, TO TELL YOU THE MOVIE IS ENDING IN A MINUTE OR TWO.

I COULD NOT RECOMMEND THE LAST TWO FILMS I SAW, EVEN THOUGH I LIKED BOTH, THEY WERE TOO MUCH CULT FILMS, BUT IF YOU LIKE ACTION, ADVENTURE AND VIOLENCE IS NOT GOING TO TURN YOU OFF - MIAMI IS A GOOD DESTINATION FOR YOU.

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