If you're in the mood for "a slice of pure cheesecake", Michael Mann thriller Miami Vice will probably hit the spot. However, fans of the 80s cop show may be disappointed by this revisionist take with Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx keeping the wisecracks to a minimum as undercover duo Crockett and Tubbs. It certainly seems as though mixed reviews cooled the box-office take on its theatrical run.
South Of The Border
One of Mann's strengths as a director is his feel for a good location. That is celebrated in the featurette Miami And Beyond where Jamie Foxx marvels, "He finds places that aren't even on the map." As well as focussing on the neon-washed vistas of Miami, behind-the-scenes cameras follow cast and crew through seething streets in South America where the good-humoured director manages to pick up a DVD copy of Collateral for just $2!
Mann is clearly excited by the mix of cultures in places like the Dominican Republic and explains how vital it is to promote a dialogue with the communities being disrupted by the filming. As he puts it, "It takes a lot of social engineering to bring a film company in." He does offer a few interesting points about his guerrilla approach to moviemaking, but generally this featurette skates over the nitty-gritty.
A Secret Vice
Former undercover cops lend their insights in the second and last behind-the-scenes featurette. "You have to adapt yourself and change yourself," says one lawman while Mann talks about creating a "supra-you" - an identity that incorporates your real personality but "turns the volume down" on your deepest inhibitions. Later, Colin Farrell reveals how career agents put him through his paces in the run-up to the shoot - an experience that culminated with the actor looking down the barrel of a gun. "I didn't sleep that night," he confesses…
Completing the extras menu is Nonpoint's music video for In The Air Tonight. Disappointingly there is no film commentary from Mann and absolutely no mention of the original TV series. And while the featurettes do offer an intriguing perspective on the story and its setting, they also highlight the lack of information about the genesis of the project and the overall making of it. Like a rookie inside agent, this DVD just doesn't go deep enough.
EXTRA FEATURES
