Review of Miami Vice (2006) by Jackw. — 06 Dec 2006

I'm getting pretty sick of those people saying that there is no chemistry between Farrell and Foxx- what do you expect, for them to kiss?? These characters are meant to be professionals who reside within a corrupt, bloody and violent environment.

Mann is exploring the conflict in these characters of being in such an environment and having to supress their emotion. As a result Crockett and Tubbs have to be cold hearted. The fact that there are so many sex scenes? Perhaps to show that real love cannot exist within these surroundings.

Miami Vice is not supposed to be 'glamourous' or 'rewarding'. Mann should be praised at not conforming to 'Hollywood' style 'wrappings'. The characters are meant to be distanced from the viewer.

This is perhaps why we struggle to understand the dialogue and the speech. Mann does not want the middle class viewer to say to themselves--'oh I can connect with these characters, now I understand what this kind of life is all about' and then switch off the Tv or leave the cinema to return to milk and cookies and a warm bed.

Crockett and Tubbs are meant to be difficult. People complain that there is essentially no story, which is absolutely dim-witted. The story is at its basic level a drugs bust. There thats it: what more do you want, aliens? The Lock Ness monster? A talking square of sponge? This film is searching for a gritty realism and that means no resolved endings or reformed charcaters, no closure or final resolutions which the viewer can be 'satisfied' that everything has fallen into place.

The title only comes up at the end because nothing has changed: there will always be guns, drugs and killings. There will always be vice, and no Crockett or Tubbs can change this.