Investigating Michael Mann

Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx in Michael Mann's Miami Vice.

Michael Mann is one of my favorite directors, and the release of Blackhat in January 2015 offered the perfect opportunity to revisit his work. There are plenty on interesting themes to dig into in Mann's films, especially his later films like Public Enemies and Miami Vice. His use of digital photography was ahead of its time, and the plots have become less conventional with each offering. This was also my first exposure to the horror film The Keep, which is easily the most head-scratching part of his canon. I also returned to this marathon last year and looked at Blackhat through five pivotal shots.

Heat was the film that made me realize just how strongly I connected with Mann's approach to cinema. I watched it repeatedly in the late-'90s and never grew tired of the crime epic. Mann had already found commercial success with Manhunter and Last of the Mohicans, but his signature style was still evolving. Mann's run of The Insider, Ali, and Collateral remains incredible, and he followed with underrated gems like Miami Vice. My goal is to continue this series and dive even further into his work. I've watched all of Mann's feature films, but I haven't written about some key movies. There are also TV movies and other episodes to tackle, plus Mann's work as a producer.

The following list (arranged chronologically by release date) includes the in-depth articles I've written for this ongoing series. I've added some posts and reviews of other Mann films to provide a more comprehensive picture of his amazing career.

Will Smith celebrates at the end of Michael Mann's Ali.

Investigating Michael Mann: The Films

The Keep
Collateral
Ali
Miami Vice
Public Enemies
Blackhat

Other Articles

Ranking the Films of Michael Mann (Movie Mezzanine)
The Three Heists of Michael Mann's Heat
Blackhat: The Director's Cut
Blackhat: An Analysis in Five Shots

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