When summer time rolls around, I do not generally expect candidates for my Top 10 list.  However, I at least expect thrills, and sadly this summer has not delivered.  That is until now.  Michael Mann’s remake of Miami Vice did not have me feeling too hopeful.  After seeing how Hollywood is remaking every possible film and television program that has previously existed, I assumed another dim-witted money-making ploy.  However, what I got with Vice was a solid action film with the unique direction of the gritty Michael Mann.

The film begins abruptly with no title sequence or guiding light for the audience.  We are introduced to Crockett (Colin Farrell) and Tubbs (Jamie Foxx), two of Miami’s finest undercover detectives.  They are also so stylish and cool that they make scraggly facial hair and the mullet come off as acceptable.  After some of the FBI’s top men are murdered in an undercover drug operation, Crockett and Tubbs are recruited by the FBI to track down the killers by disguising themselves as drug runners.  This results in an action-packed sexy thrill ride tactfully handled with unique direction by Mann.

I went into this film with mediocre expectations and got something more from my theater-going experience.  Mann’s remake of his 80’s television show is not 50 takes per second in the style of one Michael Bay.  Fans of Mann’s Heat and Collateral will recognize his signature grainy picture and handheld movements.  This is a flick with plenty of action and excitement, yet with well-placed stationary shots and solid bad-ass performances from its two leads.  This will likely not make my favorites list, but it certainly is what I look for in a summer movie.  Skip the lame Superman Returns and try this one on for size.

Grade: B+

The second film I saw this week is more popular on the indie circuit and is known as Wordplay.  Following up on a recent lineage of documentaries about word competitions, Wordplay looks at the crossword puzzle world.  I was hopeful for a deep look at the culture and construction of crossword puzzles.  Instead most of this film is dedicated to tracing every aching minute of the crossword puzzle tournament in Connecticut.  Sure this is interesting for a little while, but the tedious coverage of people making headway through various levels at a crossword tournament is simply not interesting to me.  Before seeing the recent documentary Murderball, I had low expectations because I expected to watch a 2-hour-long wheelchair rugby game.  Instead it was about people and so much much more.  Perhaps Wordplay should have taken the same route.  Amusing cameos from Bill Clinton and Jon Stewart however!
Grade: C+