New Books Network – Miami Vice (2006)

Hosts: Dan Moran & Mike | Date: October 13, 2025
Theme: An in-depth conversation about Michael Mann's Miami Vice (2006) – its cinematic artistry, narrative choices, and place in film culture.

Episode Overview

Dan and Mike, hosts of 15 Minute Film Fanatics, explore Michael Mann’s distinct take on undercover cop drama in Miami Vice (2006). Known for their love of Mann’s work, the hosts bring their trademark blend of humor, insight, and cinematic scholarship to discuss the film’s unique visual style, unconventional structure, themes of male friendship, and the movie’s evolving place in pop culture.

The episode moves through thoughtful analysis, memorable quotes, and scene-by-scene breakdowns, engaging both long-time Mann fans and newcomers who may have overlooked the film on its release.

Key Discussion Points

1. Initial Impressions & Mann’s Signature Style

[03:49]

• Mike’s Take:

  • "Miami Vice is as classic as you can get for 19 years old. It's kind of an instant classic."
  • Praises the film’s 'pure surface'—not as a pejorative, but highlighting Mann’s painterly, 2D composition:
    "Michael Mann knows that he works in a 2D medium the same way like a Renaissance painter does...the brilliance...is to create the illusion of a 3D object on a 2D plane...That's what Miami Vice is and...where it sits in the history of film."
  • Notes inspired casting: “Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx, who are...inspired casting. You couldn't ask for better."

• Dan (on color and composition):

  • "This movie has more shades of blue than Picasso at the height of his powers."
  • Emphasizes how every frame could be a painting.

• Memorable Moment:

  • The hosts joke about recording with “a live grenade with a pin out, like Colin Farrell does when they go to Haiti” [05:43], setting a playful, urgent tone.

2. Narrative Technique: Starting In Media Res

[06:50–08:15]

• Dan:

  • Praises the film’s decision to start mid-action, without credits or setup.
  • "There's no credits in the beginning, and that can be very pretentious...but I love that the movie just starts. The Paramount thing comes on...it fades out. And then the nightclub starts..."

• Mike:

  • Notes how the film trusts its audience: "It gives ultimate credit to its audience. It assumes that the audience can roll with the vice squad."

3. Depth through Surface – Atmosphere over Exposition

[05:36–06:35, 21:11–22:19]

• Discusses how the film resists psychological explanation, relying on atmosphere and visual cues instead of backstory.

• Mike:

  • “[Miami Vice] is resistant to analysis. For that reason, I have a lot to say about male friendship in this movie and the Michael Maniverse...”

• Dan:

  • “You could freeze us at any moment and it becomes a painting.”

4. Undercover Cop Genre & Stakes

[10:03–13:04]

• Mike:

  • Undercover stories work because “the stakes could not possibly be higher” and “it gives the ultimate opportunity for irony.”
  • Contrasts with heist films—“when it's the good guys, it has to be totally intuitive...like watching an intuitive tightrope act.”

• Dan:

  • Undercover films “put you in the same place emotionally...you kind of like feel like, yeah, I could roll with the vice squad.”

5. Male Friendship: Subtlety & Trust

[13:18–16:19]

• Dan: Highlights two key moments: Jamie Foxx’s “I will never doubt you” earlier in the film, and the exchange before the final shootout:
  • Jamie Foxx: “Are you ready?”
  • Colin Farrell: “I 100% am not.”
• Concept: History without flashbacks:
  • “These two guys have...history without flashbacks...” [14:12]
  • Appreciates the lack of buddy-cop banter or exposition about the men's relationship—trust is shown through terse exchanges and actions.
• Mike:
  • “It's like watching a guy scrub the inside of a pistol...That's the—it's like friendship maintenance. And it gives you the feeling that they're reestablishing or touching trust, because trust is absolutely life essential.” [15:03]

6. The Havana Sequence: Atmosphere & Self-Contained Story

[17:39–22:19]

• Mike:
  • Argues the Havana portion could stand alone:
    "The Havana section itself would work almost as a perfect short story by itself."
• Dan:
  • Praises the scene’s intimacy and the way Mann captures a sense of place—viewers are drawn into the world’s mood, whether “hellish” Haiti or “idyllic” Havana.

7. Ending & Evolving Reputation

[22:42–31:27]

• Mike:
  • When first released, audiences and even Colin Farrell felt the film’s approach “missed an opportunity.”
  • Describes Miami Vice's “rediscovery” in internet subcultures, particularly Reddit, making it a “great cult movie.”
• Dan:
  • The ending is “just Sonny going into the hospital”—no grand catharsis, just moving on.
  • Contrasts with Mann’s other films (e.g., Heat, Collateral) which “tell you how to watch them” – but Miami Vice “just kind of sits there, and you kind of pick it up and you're like, what's this?”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Mike:

  • "[Miami Vice] is as classic as you can get for 19 years old. It's kind of an instant classic." [03:49]
  • “It’s resistant to analysis. The surface is perfectly smooth.” [05:51]
  • "It's like watching a guy scrub the inside of a pistol...friendship maintenance." [15:03]
  • “If you let the movie drive, it will reward you. But if you insist on driving, you're just going to say, what is this?” [27:06]

• Dan:

  • “This movie has more shades of blue than Picasso...” [05:12]
  • "The less you pour it on, the more it works." [15:03]
  • “A lesser writer would have had what happen—She would have betrayed him, or he would have had to reveal he was a cop...But it really, she says, 'Our luck ran out.'” [31:04]

• On setting and immersion:

  • “Tell me you don't watch those scenes when they're sitting on the veranda or in the bar and the breeze is blowing...that looks like a lot of fun. Like, I'd like to be at that bar.” [21:25]
  • “The universe—it looks so beautiful from start to finish. It's not like Hitchcock, where he goes, like, now watch what I'm gonna do in this shot.” [21:11]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [03:49] – Mike’s initial take: surface artistry and Mann’s approach
• [06:50] – In media res storytelling; audience trust
• [08:47] – Character moments and supporting performances (Luis Tosar, John Ortiz)
• [10:03] – Why undercover cop stories work
• [13:18] – Exploration of male friendship, “history without flashbacks”
• [17:39] – The self-contained brilliance of the Havana sequence
• [22:42] – Endings, subversion of Hollywood/Cult Movie tropes
• [27:06] – Mann’s refusal to “let you drive” the film; Miami Vice’s legacy

Thematic Takeaways

• Surface and Depth: Mann constructs depth through visual tone and atmosphere, not exposition.
• Subtlety Over Exposition: Male friendship is shown in action—trust is built through glances, brief statements, not backstory.
• Genre Subversion: The film gives you the trappings of a cop thriller, but subverts expectations through structure, pacing, and ending.
• Evolving Reputation: Initially dismissed, Miami Vice has found a second life in online cinephile communities and is ripe for reappraisal.
• Mann’s Mission: The film lets the viewer “ride along,” rewarding trust and immersion—"If you let the movie drive, it will reward you."

Essential Scenes & Moments

• Opening nightclub sting: Immediate immersion; “Who’s a cop? Who’s not?” [07:02]
• Jamie Foxx to Farrell: “I will never doubt you.” [13:58]
• Before the final shootout: “Are you ready?” “I 100% am not.” [14:01]
• Havana interlude: Emotional and atmospheric peak [17:39]
• Ending: Sonny walks into the hospital – understated, moving [25:05, 30:08]

Final Thoughts

Dan and Mike paint a compelling picture of Miami Vice as an atmospheric, unconventional cult classic that merits rewatching and deeper appreciation. They nostalgically and analytically tie its artistic choices, narrative structure, and reception to broader trends in cinema and the enduring allure of Michael Mann’s directorial vision.