Michael Mann, born february 5, 1943 in Chicago, US, is an American film director, screenwriter and producer. The first time I watched one of his movies, it was for “the last of the mohicans” with Daniel Day Lewis, Madeleine Stowe, Russell Means in spite that he started in 1979 with “the jericho mile”, a TV film. Graduated at the London Film School in mid 1960s in UK, he stayed some years after working on commercials along with Alan Parker, Ridley Scott and Adrian Lyne. He returned to US in 1971 and he did some work but the most important one was “police story” – this show concentrated on the detailed realism of a real cop's life and taught him

the essential for first-hand research to bring authenticity to his work.

In “heat” (1995) with Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Val Kilmer, he has a manner to film the streets in a way very realist and in spite there are violence, the blood appears rarely not only in this movie but also in the others. If I am asking you, did you watch it ? If you did, I am sure that the shooting scene in the street between Al Pacino with his cop teams and Robert De Niro with his gangster team will come to your mind first. A spectacular and intense action scene !!!

In fact “heat” was a remake of the TV film called “L.A. takedown” with Michael Rooker, Scott Plank, written and directed by Mann.

Until now, he directed only 11 movies (including the TV ones):

• the jericho mile with Peter Strauss, Richard Lawson, Roger E. Mosley (1979 for TV)
• thief with James Caan, Tuesday Weld, Willie Nelson (1981)
• the keep with Scott Glenn, Alberta Watson, Jürgen Prochnow (1983)
• manhunter with William L. Petersen, Kim Greist, Joan Allen (1986)
• L.A. takedown with Scott Plank, Alex McArthur, Michael Rooker (1989 for TV)
• the last of the mohicans with Daniel Day Lewis, Madeleine Stowe, Russell Means (1992)
• heat with Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Val Kilmer (1995)
• the insider with Al Pacino, Russell Crowe, Christopher Plummer (1999)
• Ali with Will Smith, Jamie Foxx, Jon Voight (2001)
• collateral with Tom Cruise, Jamie Foxx, Jada Pinkett (2004)
• miami vice with Colin Farrell, Jamie Foxx, Gong Li (2006)

And he made a brief apparition in the movie “hancock” directed by Peter Berg with Will Smith, Charlize Theron, Jason Bateman in which he is also the producer.

I like his way to film especially when the script takes place in our century like collateral, miami vice... His way to transmit a reality through a big screen give a plus to the spectators. He allows us to merge into this unreality of a movie from a reality of our life. Few directors can do it and he is one of them.

Until now he won the following awards:

• in 1979, an emmy for outstanding writing in a limited series for “the jericho mile”
• in 1980, he was honored by the directors guild of America for outstanding directorial achievement for “the jericho mile”
• in 1990, an emmy for outstanding miniseries for “drug wars the camarena story”
• in 2000, he received the humanitas prize for “the insider” and academy award nominations for the same movie in 3 categories : best adapted screenplay, best director and best motion picture of the year
• in 2005, he received the BAFTA film award like co-producer for “the aviator” and an academy award nomination for production of the same movie

“The last of the mohicans”, an epic love story during the war between english and french in the New York state in 1757. “Ali”, the mythic story of Muhammad Ali, the boxer of all times. “Collateral”, a dual between a simple taxi man who loves his job and a professional assassin who will do everything to fill his contract. “Miami vice”, not the remake of the series but the original script concept about 2 cops fighting against the most dangerous drug cartel...

He is considered to be number 5 by Sight and Sound in the list of the 10 best directors of the last 25 years and number 28 by Total Film on the TOP 100 of the greatest directors ever.

February 25, 2009

 

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