Michael Mann is a filmmaker whose career is fascinating to investigate. Unleashing his theatrical debut, Thief, in 1981, Mann has since made ten more films over a 39 year career. He likes taking several years off between his pictures, no doubt due to his intense research and preparation for his projects. An auteur if you are aware of his style, Mann's films are defined by their authentic detail and feel, the sleek visual style, innovative camera choices and handling of such themes as masculinity, honour and codes and crime. .His films are not always commercial successes, and only one of his films has won an Academy Award (The Last of the Mohicans won for Sound). But among his ouvre are some immensely influential films. Without Mann we might not have got CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, The Dark Knight, John Wick and digital photography.
I first became aware of Mann as a director following my first watch of The Last of the Mohicans. Heat was next but it took several years before I started hunting down his other films. Finally, having accessed all 11 of his features, I can rank them.
11. The Keep (1983)
A film about Nazis stuck in a castle with an antagonistic supernatural presence should write itself. Butchered by the studio, Mann's sophomore effort is rumoured to have a 210 minute cut. As it stands, it clocks in at under 100 minutes and is all the worse for it. In desperate need of remastering, this is a dismally edited audio mess with a bizarre Tangerine Dream score that plays far too loudly. Mann's direction is assured, and there are inspired shots, but the intense tone cannot match the goofy effects, careless ending and lack of irony. Not even Ian McKellen can work magic with this unfortunate mess.
10. Miami Vice (2006)
Having never watched the TV show, I went into this completely blind. Miami Vice is a mess of a film, allegedly hampered by an arrogant Jamie Foxx's refusal to do certain sequences, which led to numerous re-writes. Foxx is joined by Colin Farrell and neither of their characters make an impact. The story is dense and often impenetrable, whilst the action and shootouts feel insignificant compared to what Mann has done before and after. A dull, humourless watch.
9. Blackhat (2015)
Taken out of context, Blackhat has a slew of very good scenes. A diner brawl, a tunnel shootout with immersive sound design and a visually stunning finale are all YouTube worthy to revisit. But in the context of the narrative, it breaks the suspension of belief. The casting of Chris Hemsworth as an American computer hacker still baffles: this techno-nerd is also a bodybuilding tank capable of dispatching enemies with tables and screwdrivers alike. It often feels silly. Blackhat succeeds as a thriller that makes the dangers of cyber-crime very clear, and feels like the natural evolution of Mann's fascination with criminals. There are some intense and unexpected moments, but an uneven runtime and poor casting make this close to being a good film.
8. Public Enemies (2009)
Public Enemies should have been a walk in the park for Mann to make: a period set historical film about a wanted bank robber and the FBI agent trying to bring him down, with two of the most popular actors of their generation at the peak of their powers playing the two leads. It was meant to be Heat but set in the 1930s. After watching it, the film feels like a poor substitute. There is a lot of greatness in this film, but an equal amount of frustration and missed potential. Johnny Depp is singularly brilliant as John Dillinger, whilst Christian Bale is criminally underused and uninteresting as Melvin Purvis. The cinematography is terrific but the usage of high definition digital camera makes it look more televised than cinematic. The shootouts are good but there is a sense of pulling punches in them. Public Enemies only really works when Depp is on-screen, and despite the struggle in getting there, the finale is magnificently helmed and scored. Agonisingly close to being a thumbs up.
7. Manhunter (1986)
Before Mads Mikkelson and Anthony Hopkins, Brian Cox was Hannibal Lecter. Based on the book Red Dragon, the film follows William Peterson as Will Graham as he investigates the killings of the 'Tooth Fairy' with the help of former nemesis Lecter. Manhunter is definitely a Michael Mann film: an unusual musical score which overplays its hand here and there, strikingly vivid visuals and colour representations, and forensic detail. A methodically paced picture, it makes for unsettling viewing.
6. Ali (2001)
A lot of Mann's films cast actors at their peak popularity. Such is the casting of Will Smith as Muhammad Ali. Following his charismatic performances in Independence Day and Men in Black among others, Smith's role as Ali secured him an Oscar nomination and proved he was a certified dramatic actor. Despite a 145 minute runtime, Ali is entertaining filmmaking thanks to some tasteful cinematography (Emmanuel Lubezki!) and the expected authentic direction. Tracing Ali's life through the 1960s and culminating with the legendary Rumble in the Jungle, the film finds time to be a sports picture, a biopic, a civil rights film, an anti-war film and a fascinating look at America in the two decades. With a comforting cast including Jamie Foxx, Giancarlo Esposito, Jeffrey Wright and an invisible Jon Voight, Mann's film just about does justice to an incredible person's turbulent life. The first boxing match and the assassination of Malcolm X are knockout scenes.
5. Thief (1981)
Mann's first feature is a startling debut. A stripped down version of Heat, this tightly contained picture stars James Caan as the eponymous jewel thief who wants to start a family life away from crime. Inevitably he's sucked in further, leading to a fiery finale. Thief announces Mann's style quitely: the authenticity and detail in the heists, the neon visuals and smooth shot composure, the cold tone, the excellent sound design. It takes a while to properly get into the story, but once the direction starts feeling more confident (and the Tangerine Dream score becomes addictive) then Thief is helluva underrated 1980s crime picture.
4. Collateral (2004)
Casting actors against type is often fun, with Henry Fonda in Once Upon a Time in the West being a personal favourite. In close second is Tom Cruise in Collateral. Sporting a grey suit and grey hair, Cruise's Vincent is one of the superstar's greatest roles. The story is contained and simple: Jamie Foxx plays Max, a cab driver, who unknowingly (and then is forced to) drives Vincent around night-time LA so the latter, a hitman, can execute people on his list. Their dynamic is an entertaining one, and Mann's acute visual exploration of a city at night is terrific stuff. A muscular film in its editing and sound effects, Collateral is evidence that Mann is relishing making the film: the night club sequence pre-empts John Wick, the cat and mouse finale is riveting and the "Yo homie, is that my briefcase?" never gets old. The two men, both methodical workers who enjoy what they do, find similarities despite the wildly different moral codes. There is a superb bit of subtext where Vincent saves Max too, a wordless exchange which amounts to something like respect. The climax is doubtful, but this is a fun thriller.
3. The Insider (1999)
A whistle-blower docu-drama might not be the most accessible film (especially with a massive runtime), but under Mann's acute eye The Insider is his most critically praised film. Securing numerous Oscar nominations, it stars Russell Crowe (hitting the prime of his career) and Al Pacino as Jeffrey Wigand, a whistle blower for tobacco companies, and the television producer wanting to tell his story respectively. Both are frightfully good. Confidently made, with numerous director's tricks at hand, The Insider is informative and gripping.
2. The Last of the Mohicans (1992)
The Last of the Mohicans is a unique film. Unique in its position among Mann's modern and crime set filmography, and unique as a historical film. It has few, if any, contemporaries, much like Master and Commander's hegemony over the Napoleonic War era. Set in 18th century America, the brisk epic sees Daniel Day-Lewis play Hawkeye, a white man raised by the last of the Mohican tribe. With his adoptive brother and father, they end up escorting and protecting an English captain and the two daughters of an English general. Hot on their tails is Wes Studi's Magua, a terrific enemy. Mann and Day-Lewis spent time in the wilderness hunting and trapping in preparation for the shoot, and the result is an authentic experience that features stunning on-location landscapes and a truly tremendous score. The action is exciting yet brutal, and the drama feels at first rushed, but on second and third viewing the strength of the subtext makes all of the dramatic moments land, and them some. The final sequence, rightfully revered, is one of the great movie moments.
1. Heat (1995)
Unanimously agreed on as being Mann's most essential film, Heat is an all-timer. A 170 minute crime epic, the picture turns LA into a dense, populated labyrinth filled with characters each with their own story. A superb cat and mouse thriller, Mann brought Al Pacino and Robert De Niro together onscreen to electrifying effect as the detective tracking down a professional thief. The bursts of action are muscular, not the least centrepiece shootout which requires the highest volume permitted. Alongside the two acting heavyweights, Mann peoples the script with Jon Voight, Wes Studi, Natalie Portman and a scene stealing Val Kilmer too. The result is a fascinating character study of clashing yet similar philosophies, with Pacino and De Niro being mirror opposites of each other. Their diner scene is a stunning display of acting whilst their final confrontation is somewhat moving. The greatest film of the 1990s.
