Moviefone Editorial

Tag: michael-mann

  • ‘The Painter’ Exclusive Interview: Jon Voight

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    Opening in theaters in limited release on January 5th before being available to buy on digital January 9th is the new action thriller ‘The Painter,’ which was directed by former stunt coordinator Kimani Ray Smith and stars Charlie Weber (‘As They Made Us,’ ‘How to Get Away with Murder’), Madison Baily (‘Outer Banks’) and Oscar winner Jon Voight (‘Heat,’ ‘Mission: Impossible,’ ‘Transformers’).

    Jon Voight as Byrne in 'The Painter.'
    Jon Voight as Byrne in ‘The Painter.’ Photo: Republic Pictures.

    Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Academy Award winner Jon Voight about his work on ‘The Painter,’ why he wanted to be part of the project, his approach to his character, working with Charlie Weber and Madison Baily, and collaborating with director Kimani Ray Smith on set, as well as looking back at his work on Michael Mann’s modern classic ‘Heat’ and the possibility of him appearing in the upcoming sequel.

    You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with both Voight and Charlie Weber.

    Jon Voight stars in 'The Painter.'
    Jon Voight stars in ‘The Painter.’

    Moviefone: To begin with, can you talk about your first reaction to the screenplay and specifically what you are looking for when you are choosing projects?

    Jon Voight: Well, I must consider that this is what I look like now. I’ve gotten older, and so I’m limited in some way to those characters, but they usually give me something that has some gravitas. They think that that’s what I am. It depends on the character for me. But the thing that I look for is a good story, a good tale, a beginning, middle, and end that I think is fun for people to go through. So, they have something at the end of the piece that they feel they’ve spent their time wisely and they’ve been thrilled or excited or moved or whatever it is during it. So that’s the number one. It was a good tale and very interesting with its twists and turns, and it gives the audiences a lot of fun, I think, in the process, and that’s why I did it.

    MF: How would you describe your character, Byrne, and your approach to playing him?

    JV: Well, he’s a guy who was a very high up in the CIA and has kind of retired as we see him. But during his time, he kind of adopted a kid who went through a very dangerous time, and he raised him. That’s the role of the Painter. “The Painter” has two meanings in this piece. One is as a painter because his pastime is painting, and he tries to get away from the dangers of the CIA aspect of his life. Then on the other hand, he is an artist around actual violence and all of that. So, he’s an amazing master of his talent and grade. So, we want him to get back into it because we know he’s okay. If he’s so great, let’s see. We see it and we see how amazing he is. Charlie did a great job with it. Just an amazing job.

    Charlie Weber as Peter in 'The Painter.'
    Charlie Weber as Peter in ‘The Painter.’ Photo: Republic Pictures.

    MF: What was your experience like working with Charlie Weber?

    JV: Well, Charlie and I, we got to know each other during this piece. I didn’t know Charlie before that. Of course, Charlie’s a very affable good guy and very talented. The guys who have these series, they’re real pros. Anyone who’s in a series for a long time and develops a character that audiences like, they’re real. So, I knew he was going to be professional and gifted, and all of that. Then I didn’t know whether he’d be able to fulfill the demands of the action because you don’t know that. You don’t know how athletic somebody is, and he’s extraordinarily athletic. He really is wonderful. So, working with Kimani, who was the director and was a stunt coordinator, they came up with some amazing stuff and very detailed and difficult stuff, and he was great at that. He learned it down to every detail. That’s of course, very important because if you miss a movement in a series of movements and people are throwing punches at you and different kinds of things, you’re supposed to respond to certain things, and boy, you can get hurt. So, you must be very good at that, and he just happens to be very good at that.

    MF: Can you talk about the complex relationship your two characters have together and creating that with Charlie?

    JV: Well, that came very naturally to us. For whatever reason, he had a great respect for me, and I had an affection for him. So, we kind of fell into that. That’s what happens in a film. You read the script and you’re preparing yourself, and then you meet the other character and you’re naturally falling into that relationship. You’re pressing those buttons. So, it wasn’t difficult for me to believe the things we had to go through together.

    Madison Bailey as Sophia in 'The Painter.'
    Madison Bailey as Sophia in ‘The Painter.’ Photo: Republic Pictures.

    MF: Did you have a similar experience working with Madison Bailey?

    JV: Well, I had heard a lot about Madison, all very positive, glowing reports of her talent and her person. When I met her, that’s what I felt immediately, and that’s what I was primed to feel too. But she’s very impressive. I really liked working with Madison very much. She’s very real and she has a maturity about her as a person. She’s still young and fresh, but she’s got a maturity in her artistry. She’s real. She’s the real deal.

    MF: At this point in your career, do you enjoy having a chance to meet and work with a new generation of actors?

    JV: Yeah, wonderful, of course it is. But I identify with them. I understand what they’re going through. I’ve been there. When I started out, I remember vividly every step of the way, and I can see where they are. I’m always impressed. I think everybody’s got something, everybody. In this area, you must have certain kinds of things that make you right for this. Then certain things that make you right for a specific character. Casting is everything, really. When you see somebody like Madison, she has a natural charm. She’s intelligent, and she’s got that dramatic understanding. She’s the real deal. So, you look, and it doesn’t take you five seconds to see what she’s all about. I was very happy to work with her, and she’s really nice. What a nice gal she is.

    Charlie Weber as Peter and Jon Voight as Byrne in 'The Painter.'
    (L to R) Charlie Weber as Peter and Jon Voight as Byrne in ‘The Painter.’ Photo: Republic Pictures.

    MF: What was it like collaborating with former stunt coordinator Kimani Ray Smith on an action movie like this, and in general, what are you looking for from a director when working on set?

    JV: Every director that I’ve worked with is very different, one from the other, but they all must have the same kind of talent, just like actors do. Kimani is a very affable guy, nice fellow, down to earth, good guy, smart, used to leadership because he’s a stunt coordinator and people do what he tells them to do. He must come up with things. He’s imaginative, and he’s creative. Stephen Paul, who produced this film, and when I say produced, he produced almost every aspect of it. He said to me, he said, “John, Kimani has a gift for story. He understands story.” So not only does he understand the moment of the stunt that he’s in, and you must understand a lot to understand stunts, and you must protect these guys in some way, too. Then you must do something creative that nobody has done yet. So, you’re putting somebody in danger right way. Also, if he has a story sense, that’s another energy. That means he’s capable of directing. I’ve found that to be true. He understands the story, where it’s going, and especially in this case where there’s a lot of different little elements to the story. The control of it is in the director’s hands. He’s telling a story that’s very complex, and what you see on the screen is not necessarily what is going to appear to you several scenes later. So, he’s got to orchestrate this whole thing. He was very good at it. He turned out to be terrific.

    Al Pacino as Lieutenant Vincent Hanna and Robert De Niro as Neil McCauley in 'Heat.'
    (L to R) Al Pacino as Lieutenant Vincent Hanna and Robert De Niro as Neil McCauley in ‘Heat.’ Photo: Warner Bros.

    MF: Finally, you appeared in one of the most beloved movies of all time, Michael Mann’s ‘Heat.’ Last year Mann published a novel that was both a sequel and a prequel to the original film and has talked about adapting it into a movie with Adam Driver playing a younger version of Robert De Niro’s character in flashbacks and even possibly having Al Pacino return. Since your character is one of the few that survived the original, I’m curious if you are aware of the novel and if you have had any discussions with Mann about possibly returning for ‘Heat 2?’

    JV: I really enjoyed working on that film, and Michael and I had become friends prior. I’ve only done two films with Michael. I did ‘Heat’ and then I did ‘Ali’ and I played Howard Cosell. After he’d worked with me on ‘Heat,’ he called me up for Howard Cosell. That was like a crazy idea, but it turned out to be a very brilliant idea. I was the right person for that role. But anyway, I enjoy Michael. He’s a completely original guy, very demanding, and very brilliant. So, he asked me to do ‘Heat,’ and I said to him, “I read the script, and you can go down to the barrio and you can pick up a guy who’s the real guy and he’ll be terrific in this role,” because the role, it needed a presence. That’s mainly what it needed. There weren’t any tricks to it. You just had to have that. He said to me, “Well, John, if I do that, then I wouldn’t get a chance to work with you.” Wow, well, you got to accept that kind of love and where that’s coming. But anyway, I said, “I’m going to have to change myself entirely to be this character.” He said, “Yeah, we’ll do it.” He was great with me, and I did. I found a person named Kenny Diaz, who was from the barrio. Not that my character’s from the barrio, but he was a roughneck, and Kenny came from there. He really knew this area. We worked on this stuff to give my face some character. I’ve got some padding, and I worked very hard on the character. I think when I finally did it, I think I did achieve what was required and what I set out to do. I was very pleased with it. Do I know about Michael Mann’s book? Yes. I looked at the book and Michael did tell me, he said, “John, we’re going to do ‘Heat 2.’” I haven’t heard anything recently, but I think it might be his next film, but we don’t know. I don’t know yet. But anyway, ‘Heat,’ it was a great film. It was a great film for people. They enjoyed that journey. The two great actors, Al and Bobby, I mean, it just worked. All the actors in that piece were special. Michael’s quite brilliant at that. He casts very carefully. He’s an original mind and he put together an extraordinary movie. People love that movie.

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    What is the Plot of ‘The Painter’?

    An ex-CIA operative turned painter (Charlie Weber) is thrown back into a dangerous world when a mysterious woman (Madison Bailey) from his past resurfaces. Now exposed and targeted by a relentless killer and a rogue black ops program, he must rely on skills he thought he left behind in a high-stakes game of survival.

    Who is in the cast of ‘The Painter’?

    Charlie Weber as Peter in 'The Painter.'
    Charlie Weber as Peter in ‘The Painter.’ Photo: Republic Pictures.

    Other Movies Similar to ‘The Painter:’

    Buy Jon Voight Movies On Amazon

  • Every Michael Mann Movie, Ranked

    Director Michael Mann at the premiere of 'Ferrari.'
    Director Michael Mann at the premiere of ‘Ferrari.’ Photo: Neon.

    Director Michael Mann is one of the most celebrated and groundbreaking filmmakers of all time.

    Mann first gained attention for his work on the crime film ‘Thief‘ and the Hannibal Lecktor movie ‘Manhunter,’ before creating the iconic TV series ‘Miami Vice.’ He would eventually direct the big screen adaption of his popular 80’s TV series, and helm Oscar nominated movies like ‘The Last of the Mohicans,’ ‘The Insider,’ ‘Ali‘ and ‘Collateral.’

    But the filmmaker is probably best known for directing the 1995 classic ‘Heat,’ which finally cast Robert De Niro opposite Al Pacino for the first time ever on screen!

    Michael Mann’s new movie, ‘Ferrari,’ which stars Adam Driver as the iconic title character opens in theaters on December 25th. In honor of the new film, Moviefone is counting down every movie of Michael Mann’s impressive career, including his latest.

    Let’s begin!

    12. ‘The Keep‘ (1983)

    1983's 'The Keep.'
    1983’s ‘The Keep.’ Photo: Paramount Pictures.

    Nazis take over an ancient fortress that contains a mysterious entity that wreaks havoc and death upon them.

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    11. ‘Blackhat‘ (2015)

    Chris Hemsworth as Nicholas Hathaway and Tang Wei as Chen Lien 2015's 'Blackhat.'
    (L to R) Chris Hemsworth as Nicholas Hathaway and Tang Wei as Chen Lien 2015’s ‘Blackhat.’ Photo: Universal Pictures.

    Nicholas Hathaway (Chris Hemsworth), a furloughed convict, and his American and Chinese partners as hunt a high-level cybercrime network from Chicago to Los Angeles to Hong Kong to Jakarta. As Hathaway closes in, the stakes become personal as he discovers that the attack on a Chinese nuclear power plant was just the beginning.

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    10. ‘Public Enemies‘ (2009)

    Johnny Depp as John Dillinger in 'Public Enemies.'
    Johnny Depp as John Dillinger in ‘Public Enemies.’ Photo: Universal Pictures.

    Depression-era bank robber John Dillinger’s (Johnny Depp) charm and audacity endear him to much of America’s downtrodden public, but he’s also a thorn in the side of J. Edgar Hoover (Billy Crudup) and the fledgling FBI. Desperate to capture the elusive outlaw, Hoover makes Dillinger his first Public Enemy Number One and assigns his top agent, Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale), the task of bringing him in dead or alive.

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    9. ‘Ferrari‘ (2023)

    Adam Driver as Enzo Ferrari in director Michael Mann's 'Ferrari.'
    Adam Driver as Enzo Ferrari in director Michael Mann’s ‘Ferrari.’ Photo: Neon.

    A biopic of automotive mogul Enzo Ferrari (Adam Driver), whose family redefined the idea of the high-powered Italian sports car and practically spawned the concept of Formula One racing.

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    8. ‘Miami Vice‘ (2006)

    Colin Farrell as Detective James 'Sonny' Crockett and Jamie Foxx as Detective Ricardo 'Rico' Tubbs in 'Miami Vice.'
    (L to R) Colin Farrell as Detective James ‘Sonny’ Crockett and Jamie Foxx as Detective Ricardo ‘Rico’ Tubbs in ‘Miami Vice.’ Photo: Universal Pictures.

    A case involving drug lords and murder in South Florida takes a personal turn for undercover detectives Sonny Crockett (Colin Farrell) and Ricardo Tubbs (Jamie Foxx). Unorthodox Crockett gets involved romantically with the Chinese-Cuban wife of a trafficker of arms and drugs, while Tubbs deals with an assault on those he loves.

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    7. ‘The Last of the Mohicans‘ (1992)

    Daniel Day-Lewis as Nathaniel "Hawkeye" Poe in 'The Last of the Mohicans.'
    Daniel Day-Lewis as Nathaniel “Hawkeye” Poe in ‘The Last of the Mohicans.’ Photo:
    20th Century Fox.

    In war-torn Colonial America, in the midst of a bloody battle between British, the French and Native American allies, Cora Munro, the aristocratic daughter of a British Colonel and her party are captured by a group of Huron warriors. Fortunately, a group of three Mohican trappers, including Hawkeye (Daniel Day-Lewis), a rugged frontiersman and the adopted son of the Mohicans comes to their rescue. A passionate romance soon blossoms between Cora (Madeleine Stowe) and Hawkeye, but many forces test their love as they continue to journey through the Frontier.

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    6. ‘The Insider‘ (1999)

    Russell Crowe as Dr. Jeffrey Wigand in 'The Insider.'
    Russell Crowe as Dr. Jeffrey Wigand in ‘The Insider.’ Photo: Buena Vista Pictures Distribution.

    Tells the true story of a 60 Minutes television series exposé of the tobacco industry, as seen through the eyes of a real tobacco executive, Jeffrey Wigand (Russell Crowe).

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    5. ‘Manhunter‘ (1986)

    Brian Cox as Dr. Hannibal Lecktor in 'Manhunter.'
    Brian Cox as Dr. Hannibal Lecktor in ‘Manhunter.’ Photo: De Laurentiis Entertainment Group.

    FBI Agent Will Graham (William Peterson), who retired after catching Hannibal Lecktor (Brian Cox), returns to duty to engage in a risky cat-and-mouse game with Lecktor to capture a new killer.

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    4. ‘Ali‘ (2001)

    Will Smith as Cassius Clay Jr. / Cassius X / Muhammad Ali in 'Ali.'
    Will Smith as Cassius Clay Jr. / Cassius X / Muhammad Ali in ‘Ali.’ Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.

    In 1964, a brash, new pro boxer, fresh from his Olympic gold medal victory, explodes onto the scene: Cassius Clay (Will Smith). Bold and outspoken, he cuts an entirely new image for African Americans in sport with his proud public self-confidence and his unapologetic belief that he is the greatest boxer of all time. Yet at the top of his game, both Ali’s personal and professional lives face the ultimate test.

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    3. ‘Collateral‘ (2004)

    Tom Cruise as Vincent in 'Collateral.'
    Tom Cruise as Vincent in ‘Collateral.’ Photo: DreamWorks Pictures.

    Cab driver Max (Jamie Foxx) picks up a man (Tom Cruise) who offers him $600 to drive him around. But the promise of easy money sours when Max realizes his fare is an assassin.

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    2. ‘Thief‘ (1981)

    James Caan and Jim Belushi in 'Thief.'
    (L to R) James Caan and Jim Belushi in ‘Thief.’ Photo: United Artists.

    Frank (James Caan) is an expert professional safecracker, specialized in high-profile diamond heists. He plans to use his ill-gotten income to retire from crime and build a nice life for himself complete with a home, wife and kids. To accelerate the process, he signs on with a top gangster for a big score.

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    1. ‘Heat‘ (1995)

    Al Pacino as Lieutenant Vincent Hanna and Robert De Niro as Neil McCauley in 'Heat.'
    (L to R) Al Pacino as Lieutenant Vincent Hanna and Robert De Niro as Neil McCauley in ‘Heat.’ Photo: Warner Bros.

    Obsessive master thief Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro) leads a top-notch crew on various daring heists throughout Los Angeles while determined detective Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino) pursues him without rest. Each man recognizes and respects the ability and the dedication of the other even though they are aware their cat-and-mouse game may end in violence.

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  • Movie Review: ‘Ferrari’

    Adam Driver as Enzo Ferrari in director Michael Mann's 'Ferrari.'
    Adam Driver as Enzo Ferrari in director Michael Mann’s ‘Ferrari.’ Photo: Neon.

    Opening in theaters on December 25th is ‘Ferrari,’ starring Adam Driver, Penelope Cruz, Shailene Woodley, Sarah Gadon, Gabriel Leone, and Patrick Dempsey.

    Initial Thoughts

    Adam Driver as Enzo Ferrari in director Michael Mann's 'Ferrari.'
    Adam Driver as Enzo Ferrari in director Michael Mann’s ‘Ferrari.’ Photo: Neon.

    It’s interesting that ‘Ferrari’ is coming out around the same time as another biopic of a famous 20th century figure, ‘Maestro,’ and even more intriguing that both are heavily invested in the women at the center of their subjects’ lives. But while ‘Maestro’ takes an expansive look at the life of composer Leonard Bernstein, ‘Ferrari’ focuses on one brief period in the life of race car driver, team leader, and auto manufacturer Enzo Ferrari.

    Director Michael Mann’s first film since 2015’s ‘Blackhat’ throws a lot at the viewer from a period and place that might now be largely forgotten, and one ultimately wonders what exactly the point is. But ‘Ferrari’ skates over its flaws on the backs of Adam Driver in the title role and Penelope Cruz as his long-suffering wife Laura, with both giving fantastic performances and Cruz in particular doing some of the finest work of her career.

    Story and Direction

    Director Michael Mann at the premiere of 'Ferrari.'
    Director Michael Mann at the premiere of ‘Ferrari.’ Photo: Neon.

    It’s the summer of 1957 and Enzo Ferrari (Adam Driver) is facing crises on multiple fronts. The auto factory he and his wife and business partner Laura (Penelope Cruz) opened 10 years earlier is in danger of going bankrupt. He needs a new driver after one is killed during a test drive. His marriage is falling apart, as he and Laura are shattered by grief over the death of their son Dino. And he strives to keep secret a second family, consisting of his longtime lover Lina Lardi and their 12-year-old son Piero.

    This is the state of Enzo Ferrari, the sports car king at the heart of Michael Mann’s first movie in eight years. And in many ways, Enzo Ferrari – played brilliantly by Driver – is a perfect subject for the director behind films like ‘Heat’ and ‘Ali’: Ferrari is pulled in multiple directions, obsessed with winning, fueled by his passions, and haunted by the things he cannot control.

    One of those things is Laura, also brought to vivid life by Penelope Cruz in a masterfully balanced performance. Laura is in some ways a ticking time bomb, holding the fate of their business in her hands even as she discovers the truth about Ferrari’s mistress and second son. Yet as the film points out, she is as pragmatic and driven as her husband, and subsumes her own grief and fury in an effort to save the business.

    The complex, turbulent relationship between Enzo and Laura forms the heart of ‘Ferrari,’ and its best scenes are the ones in which the husband and wife engage in verbal battle like gladiators in the coliseum (or in one case, end up jousting in a different way on the dining room table when their heightened anger turns into raw lust).

    A scene from director Michael Mann's 'Ferrari.'
    A scene from director Michael Mann’s ‘Ferrari.’ Photo: Neon.

    But there is another movie here too, about racing, and how Enzo Ferrari bets the company’s future on a legendary cross-country Italian race, the Mille Miglia. Mann shoots this race and others, and even an opening scene of Ferrari speeding along a country road in his own car, in his typically immersive style, putting the viewer as closely into the car as possible. The roar of the engines, the speed of the vehicle, the dangerous ballet as the drivers navigate hairpin turns and each other – it all unspools thrillingly, even if the drivers themselves are nowhere nearly as fleshed-out as the film’s leads.

    That’s one of the problems that ‘Ferrari’ faces – like other recent biopics, it throws a lot of names, faces, and dates at the viewer in a hurry, as if one is expected to read up on the period and the people before coming to the theater. It’s confusing at first, and if race car driving itself isn’t one’s bag, Mann and late screenwriter Troy Kennedy Martin don’t quite make the case for why we should be interested. Seen from one perspective, ‘Ferrari’ is the story of another rich white guy who gets what he needs as everyone around him defers to ‘Il Commendatore.’

    At its best, ‘Ferrari’ is a portrait of grief, destroyed dreams, and the pain of facing impossible choices, not to mention a healthy dose of the good old triumph of the human spirit. Yet despite the massive efforts of Cruz and Driver, ‘Ferrari’ never full draws us in emotionally or makes us feel what Ferrari means when he describes racing as “our deadly passion, our terrible joy.” Even after the truly shocking finish to the Mille Miglia, the film ends on a rather perfunctory note. It’s a big improvement over Mann’s last two misfires, 2009’s ‘Public Enemies’ and 2015’s ‘Blackhat,’ but it’s not quite top tier for the director either.

    Related Article: Adam Driver Talks ‘Ferrari’ and Working with Director Michael Mann

    The Cast

    Penélope Cruz as Laura Ferrari in director Michael Mann's 'Ferrari.'
    Penélope Cruz as Laura Ferrari in director Michael Mann’s ‘Ferrari.’ Photo: Neon.

    This is really the Driver and Cruz Show from start to finish. Adam Driver goes through more of a physical transformation, graying his hair and making himself appear heavier under Ferrari’s stylish suits and suspenders, but his accent, intonations, and emotional remove – except for a few key sequences – all help paint a three-dimensional portrait of a man driven to succeed at all costs, as well as a human being who is sometimes unnervingly practical in all matters, even those of the heart. He only allows his deep grief over the death of Dino to break through occasionally, and when it does, it’s raw and painful. Yet in his scenes with Piero, he’s affectionate, patient, and loving, hinting at a more reachable Ferrari underneath.

    As for Cruz, she does more with her face in one scene – her completely silent visit to Dino’s tomb – than many actors can do in a career. Laura Ferrari is a woman who has been tested by grief – over the loss of her child and the destruction of her marriage – and yet is perhaps even stronger and more resolute than her husband. From her walk to the way others treat her, it’s clear that Laura is not a woman to be underestimated or trifled with, and Cruz conveys both that and the woman’s deep heartbreak in a tremendous, often non-verbal performance.

    Shailene Woodley at the Los Angeles premiere of 'Ferrari.'
    Shailene Woodley at the Los Angeles premiere of ‘Ferrari.’ Photo: Neon.

    The rest of the cast doesn’t fare as well, although not for trying. The film’s third lead, Shailene Woodley as Ferrari’s lover Lina Lardi, is simply miscast. Woodley projects a sort of Midwest, all-American girl demeanor, which clashes jarringly with Lardi’s portrayal as an Italian woman living on a thin line between a traditional existence and a more modern, cosmopolitan one.

    The other players, which include familiar faces like Patrick Dempsey and Jack O’Connell, are good in their roles but no one in the mix of drivers, mechanics, journalists, and businessmen really stands out (except perhaps Gabriel Leone as Ferrari’s newest driver, the free-spirited, headstrong Alfonso de Portago). You can mostly distinguish who the rest are and what function they serve by what they’re wearing.

    Will ‘Ferrari’ Compete In The Oscar Race?

    Adam Driver at the Los Angeles premiere of 'Ferrari.'
    Adam Driver at the Los Angeles premiere of ‘Ferrari.’ Photo: Neon.

    The buzz on ‘Ferrari’ seems to have cooled quite a bit following festival season, so it’s difficult to say whether it will be a factor in this year’s Oscar race. The film doesn’t seem likely to nab nominations for either Best Picture or Best Director – despite it being Mann’s return behind the camera for the first time in nearly a decade, it’s not his best work and there are other directors who really aced it this year.

    Aside from some below-the-line awards – Editing, Production Design, Sound, as well as possibly Hair and Makeup – the best chance for ‘Ferrari’ will be in the Best Actor and Best Actress categories. Adam Driver and Penelope Cruz give Oscar-worthy performances, and Cruz in particular could be a shoo-in for winning if the Best Actress category wasn’t already crowded with magnificent work from other stars. But it’s difficult to say whether either one will even be nominated at this point.

    Final Thoughts

    Adam Driver as Enzo Ferrari in director Michael Mann's 'Ferrari.'
    Adam Driver as Enzo Ferrari in director Michael Mann’s ‘Ferrari.’ Photo: Neon.

    As noted above, this isn’t top-shelf Michael Mann, but the 80-year-old director still manages to get a lot of aspects of ‘Ferrari’ right. Chief among those is the casting of Adam Driver and Penelope Cruz, even though he whiffs on trying to get Shailene Woodley to mangle an Italian accent. But the relationship between Ferrari and Laura, plus the look and feel of the setting, the beauty of the countryside, the visceral power of the cars (which were much more dangerous then) – it’s all there.

    What’s missing is an overall passion and underlying meaning to the entire story. Focusing on this one intense period in Ferrari’s life may be easier to do in two hours than an overview of his entire story, but we’re still left wondering why this part of the story was the one worth telling. What does it say about Ferrari himself, about the things he fought or cared for? Without that to hook us in, ‘Ferrari’ ends up feeling kind of empty.

    ‘Ferrari’ receives 6.5 out of 10 stars.

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    What is the plot of ‘Ferrari’?

    In the summer of 1957, Enzo Ferrari (Adam Driver), reeling from the death of his son Dino, the deteriorating marriage with his wife Laura (Penélope Cruz), and his company’s impending bankruptcy, enters his racing team to the 1957 Mille Miglia.

    Who is in the cast of ‘Ferrari’?

    Director Michael Mann's 'Ferrari' opens in theaters on December 25th.
    Director Michael Mann’s ‘Ferrari’ opens in theaters on December 25th. Photo: Neon.

    Other Movies Similar to ‘Ferrari:’

    Buy Tickets: ‘Ferrari’ Movie Showtimes

    Buy Adam Driver Movies On Amazon

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  • ‘Ferrari’ Exclusive Interview: Adam Driver

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    Opening in theaters on December 25th is ‘Ferrari,’ which chronicles the life of iconic entrepreneur Enzo Ferrari. The movie was directed by Michael Mann (‘Heat’) and stars Adam Driver (‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’) in the title role.

    Adam Driver stars in director Michael Mann's 'Ferrari.'
    Adam Driver stars in director Michael Mann’s ‘Ferrari.’

    Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Adam Driver about his work on ‘Ferrari,’ his approach to playing the iconic character, working with Michael Mann, Ferrari’s complex relationship with his wife Laura, and creating that relationship on screen with Penélope Cruz.

    Adam Driver as Enzo Ferrari in director Michael Mann's 'Ferrari.'
    Adam Driver as Enzo Ferrari in director Michael Mann’s ‘Ferrari.’ Photo: Neon.

    You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interview.

    Moviefone: To begin with, can you talk about your approach to playing a person as iconic as Enzo Ferrari and what was the key for you in finding the character? Was it creating him internally first or with the costume and makeup departments, finding his external look that helped you the most with the performance?

    Adam Driver: Because of the nature of our shooting schedule and the budget really, it had to be internal at first. The prosthetics and costumes, because we got delayed, some of those decisions were made very late. But mostly, it’s almost always internal. It starts with the script and then you try to work on it, and that’s Michael’s thing. 90% of his notes are about internal life. You’re spot on in starting with that, because that’s where he started with this character. His take was that Ferrari was a racer first, so that’s how he wanted to see him navigate the track of this movie, as someone who has prolonged focus, and during these potential pitfalls or crashes, just to continue the metaphor, is calm on the surface, but has this engine going throughout.

    Director Michael Mann at the premiere of 'Ferrari.'
    Director Michael Mann at the premiere of ‘Ferrari.’ Photo: Neon.

    MF: For my money, Michael Mann is one of the greatest directors of all time. What was it like for you collaborating with him on this film and watching firsthand the specific way that he makes movies?

    AD: I agree with you. I think he is one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, and his movies I’ve returned to again and again, and they’ve been a massive inspiration for me. He has incredible taste, and I’m not saying that because I got the part, but his tastes in subject matter and how he shoots things, I love. So, when you trust a director’s taste, you feel way more confident that they’re making the movie that they want to make. He was someone that, just on a personal level, I am incredibly moved by. I was very excited to work with him, but who he is as a person, I care about Michael deeply, and I love his films and his relentlessness in going for something that feels tactile and authentic, that I’m moved by.

    Penélope Cruz as Laura Ferrari in director Michael Mann's 'Ferrari.'
    Penélope Cruz as Laura Ferrari in director Michael Mann’s ‘Ferrari.’ Photo: Neon.

    MF: Finally, Enzo had a very complex relationship with his wife, Laura. Can you talk about that relationship and creating it on screen with Penélope Cruz?

    AD: She makes things easy, because she’s so good and available and present, and that’s the strength of the script is that there’s this relationship that’s not so obvious. After the movie, I think in 1963, there was a kind of revolt among the engineers. They didn’t appreciate how she was conducting business, and they came to Enzo saying that “She’s got to go. If you don’t fire her, we quit.” His response was then “Fine, quit,” and he fired them all. That same year, Laura fell into a ditch, and they said “She fell into a ditch. We pulled her out.” He’s like, “Why’d you pull her out?” That’s what it was with them. They’re fighting one minute, and maybe making love the next, but there’s this in our film, an unresolved grief that’s between them, that you only get glimpses of who they used to be. Again, I don’t feel like scripts come along that are that seemingly bold, I guess, and not shying away from creating a complicated linear character.

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    What is the plot of ‘Ferrari’?

    In the summer of 1957, Enzo Ferrari (Adam Driver), reeling from the death of his son Dino, the deteriorating marriage with his wife Laura (Penélope Cruz), and his company’s impending bankruptcy, enters his racing team to the 1957 Mille Miglia.

    Who is in the cast of ‘Ferrari’?

    Adam Driver as Enzo Ferrari in director Michael Mann's 'Ferrari.'
    Adam Driver as Enzo Ferrari in director Michael Mann’s ‘Ferrari.’ Photo: Neon.

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  • ‘Dead Shot’ Interview: Directors Tom and Charles Guard

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    Opening in theaters, on demand and digital on August 18th is the new action thriller ‘Dead Shot’ from directors Tom and Charles Guard (‘The Uninvited’).

    What is the plot of ‘Dead Shot’?

    When a border ambush goes wrong, a retired Irish paramilitary Michael (Colin Morgan) witnesses the fatal shooting of his pregnant wife by British Sergeant, Tempest (Aml Ameen). Now wounded, and presumed dead, he escapes, taking his revenge to the dark and paranoid streets of 1970’s London.

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    Who is in the cast of ‘Dead Shot’?

    ‘Dead Shot’ stars Aml Ameen (‘The Maze Runner‘) as Tempest, Colin Morgan (‘Belfast‘) as Michael O’Hara, Mark Strong (‘Shazam!‘) as Holland and Felicity Jones (‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story‘) as Catherine.

    Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Tom Guard and Charles Guard about their work on ‘Dead Shot,’ the themes they wanted to explore, their directing process and style, their influences, the film’s music, the story’s lack of heroes and villains, its historical significance, Tempest’s guilt, Michael’s revenge, and what casting Mark Strong and Felicity Jones brought to the project.

    (L to R) Thomas Guard and Charles Guard behind the scenes of the action/thriller/drama film, 'Dead Shot' a Quiver Distribution release.
    (L to R) Thomas Guard and Charles Guard behind the scenes of the action/thriller/drama film, ‘Dead Shot’ a Quiver Distribution release. Photo Courtesy of Mark Mainz.

    You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch the interview.

    Moviefone: To begin with, can you talk about developing the screenplay with writer Ronan Bennett and what were some of the themes that you were excited to explore with this movie?

    Charles Guard: Well, the idea of the cat and mouse was something that we really responded to when we read Ronan’s original draft, and we he had set up a really interesting relationship between these two men. The stuff that we wanted to really explore was kind of issues of identity not so much the political aspects of the story, but the more universal aspects of the story like Michael’s need for revenge and where that takes him. Also the idea of almost toxic masculinity being a sort of sliding scale, being represented in this very pure form by these characters like Holland and Keenan, and how those kinds of characters can somehow manipulate and trap younger characters who perhaps have more innocent intentions or desires, characters like Michael and Tempest, who very quickly fall under the spell of these incredibly dangerous men.

    MF: Tom, can you talk about your directing process on set? Do you and Charles share duties, or split them between the two of you?

    Thomas Guard: Well, it was very fluid and open and we don’t divide roles. We talk. There’s no kind of division of labor, and we like creating within a core group. We find creating an open environment where everyone can talk, discuss and collaborate is always the most successful way of making a film. We really felt we had a great crew people like Mattias Rudh, who’s a fantastic cameraman, Tom Sayer, the art director and production designer, and also the actors. It was all very much part of the same conversation that everyone was in it together trying to make this thing.

    (L to R) Thomas Guard and Charles Guard behind the scenes of the action/thriller/drama film, 'Dead Shot' a Quiver Distribution release.
    (L to R) Thomas Guard and Charles Guard behind the scenes of the action/thriller/drama film, ‘Dead Shot’ a Quiver Distribution release. Photo Courtesy of Mark Mainz.

    MF: While the movie is set in the 1970s, it reminded me of 80’s movies like Michael Mann’s ‘Thief’ or the late William Friedkin’s ‘Cruising.’ Were those movies and filmmakers an influence on this film?

    CG: Very much so. ‘The French Connection’ was our jumping off point really. We wanted to tell a story that had that kind of propulsion. When you watch those 70’s movies, you watch actors reacting in the moment and deciding, and the course of the narrative seems to be right there. You’re not sat back watching it unfold. You are really in the driving seat as the stuff is happening and as they’re having to change direction. So we very much were trying to create that same spontaneity and immediacy of the storytelling, but also the visual style.

    MF: Tom, can you talk about adapting the visual style specifically for this story?

    TG: It was interesting. You talk about the early Michael Mann films, because we love those films like ‘Thief,’ and there’s a kind of hard-boiled purity about them where they’re very no nonsense and bare bones, but yet he somehow touches on great characters at the same time. By giving you very little, you actually get quite a lot. I think that was definitely, maybe a subconscious influence with us because we just like that type of storytelling where less is more, and both in terms of the narrative and the script, but also in terms of the visuals. We try to just pare things down as much as we can to get maximum impact.

    Colin Morgan as Michael O’Hara and Dara Devaney as Twomey in the action/thriller/drama film, 'Dead Shot' a Quiver Distribution release.
    (L to R) Colin Morgan as Michael O’Hara and Dara Devaney as Twomey in the action/thriller/drama film, ‘Dead Shot’ a Quiver Distribution release. Photo Courtesy of Mark Mainz.

    Related Article: ‘Dead Shot’ Exclusive Clip

    MF: The film utilizes synth music, which was also reminiscent of early 80s crime dramas. Can you talk about your choice of music for the film?

    TG: Well, Max de Wardener was our fantastic composer and we didn’t try to set out to do a historical film. It was never meant to be just a pastiche of 70’s films. We were just taking a lot of influences from just stuff we love and trying to make it our own. He gravitates to and has a great passion for that type of synth music from the late 70’s and early 80’s. When we were discussing stuff, it just started. We started to hear a voice through those sounds and it seemed to fit with the film, so we developed it.

    MF: The movie has protagonists and antagonists, but no one is really a good guy or a bad guy in the traditional sense. Was that by design?

    CG: Well, it was incredibly important to us because we felt that that was one of the things that made it incredibly relevant to today and very modern. That as much as we seem to love labels in our lives today, they very often don’t really reflect what is on the tin anymore. So we felt it was really important that you didn’t know who to root for. That was kind of tapping into, again, that 70’s thing where you’re watching a character and you are kind of living through the moment with them. It’s almost like you are forced into thinking, well, I would do the same as that person did right then, but then you kind of have to reflect on it later. So it is just an interesting way of approaching a narrative we felt to today. But yeah, no heroes and no villains was definitely something that we were pushing.

    Aml Ameen as Tempest in the action/thriller/drama film, 'Dead Shot' a Quiver Distribution release.
    Aml Ameen as Tempest in the action/thriller/drama film, ‘Dead Shot’ a Quiver Distribution release. Photo Courtesy of Anne Binckebanck.

    MF: Tom, can you talk about the guilt that motivates Tempest throughout the film, and working with Aml Ameen?

    TG: Well, Aml was fantastic, and he really gave a great entry point for us. We talked a lot about the character before we started shooting with him, and we loved this sense. What emerged very strongly was this idea of someone who feels trapped in a certain system, guilty for what he’s done and determined to do right by it in some ways. But then as he starts to try to do right by it, he actually realizes that he’s doing terrible things and he starts to feel angry about that and that anger leads inevitably to more violence. We thought that that was a complex arc for Tempest, and it felt, especially when you compare that to Michael’s journey, which is kind of almost the opposite. He begins with revenge and determined for revenge and violence, but then actually starts to thaw and want something else. He’s almost after freedom, but the two crossover with tragic consequences.

    MF: Charles, can you talk about the revenge that Michael seeks, and Colin Morgan’s performance?

    CG: Well, Colin was amazing. He committed to the film and he just gave us everything. He’s from the area where the film starts. He’s from South Hamar, so it was very much his backyard. We talked to him a little bit about what we felt, what we wanted from Michael, but we let him kind of go to places. He very much brought a lot of his own personal history, and he did it in such a beautiful way because it was so silent and you really felt it. We absolutely loved putting the camera on him because you felt his thoughts. He was so transparent in his face and in his eyes, and you felt the sadness, the sorrow and the depth of this time really, the depth of the Troubles, the depth of the sadness, and the devastation of it all. The tragedy of it really. We felt incredibly fortunate that he was with us, and he was prepared to go on that journey with us. It was amazing.

    Aml Ameen as Tempest in the action/thriller/drama film, 'Dead Shot' a Quiver Distribution release.
    Aml Ameen as Tempest in the action/thriller/drama film, ‘Dead Shot’ a Quiver Distribution release. Photo Courtesy of Anne Binckebanck.

    MF: The Northern Ireland conflict is the backdrop to the story, how important was it to you to make that seem as authentic as possible?

    TG: We certainly did a huge amount of research into the period and the conflict, but we were very determined to focus on more universal aspects of the conflict that perhaps weren’t so specific to the time and to the place and to the people just to access something else, because we were keen to make it appealing and of interest to as wide of an audience as possible. Whilst people in the UK and Ireland are very familiar with the troubles and what it means and the legacy of it, we are aware that people outside of these countries perhaps don’t have so much experience of it. So we wanted to still make it of interest to them. So we tried to focus more on mythic ideas of revenge rather than sectarianism and individual party politics and things like that.

    CG: I was going to say beyond that, the level of authenticity to the moment and to the fictional elements of the story, we were very keen that they felt, even though they were fiction, we wanted to make them feel exactly how they felt to people at that time so that when people who did live through that time watched the film, they could say, and they have said, that that level of paranoia and the level of confusion is exactly how they remember that time. That being very faithful to the authenticity of realizing that was very important to us. We felt a tremendous responsibility in doing that, to tell it as it was.

    Mark Strong as Holland in the action/thriller/drama film, 'Dead Shot' a Quiver Distribution release.
    Mark Strong as Holland in the action/thriller/drama film, ‘Dead Shot’ a Quiver Distribution release. Photo Courtesy of Mark Mainz.

    MF: Finally, did it elevate the project to have actors the caliber of Felicity Jones and Mark Strong join the cast?

    CG: I think we were just incredibly fortunate to have actors of that caliber working in roles that were not necessarily the principal roles. It was beyond amazing to work with them. It allowed us to tell the story in a really interesting way, because they were the ones that would’ve been overlooked in other times and in other stories, but they were the ones that we were actually focused on. When you’ve got just extraordinary actors like Felicity and Mark, we were just totally spoiled really, for being able to kind of contextualize the world with such an extraordinary sensitivity and depth that they brought to their characters.

    TG: Immeasurably the whole thing became elevated in a very exciting way. With Felicity, there was a scene early on when she was on the phone and as the scene was originally written, it was, she’s on the phone to Keenan (Tom Vaughan-Lawlor) in the phone box, and we ended up enjoying shooting her from so many different setups and points of view, and we just loved her performance. We couldn’t stop shooting her, basically. We filmed for ages. We got so much material and we ended up using all of it. We ended up taking that material and then turning it into three different scenes during the course of the film. You don’t often get opportunities like that with performers to explore things, but actually she was really interested in taking things as far as she could and seeing where she could go with it. We loved going on that journey with her.

    Felicity Jones as Catherine in the action/thriller/drama film, 'Dead Shot' a Quiver Distribution release.
    Felicity Jones as Catherine in the action/thriller/drama film, ‘Dead Shot’ a Quiver Distribution release. Photo Courtesy of Mark Mainz.

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  • Adam Driver in Talks for ‘Heat’ Sequel

    Adam Driver in Sony's '65.'
    Adam Driver in Sony’s ’65.’

    There have been rumors for a while that Michael Mann would be re-visiting his classic 1995 crime thriller ‘Heat’, famous for its action and for the head-to-head criminal-vs-cop meetings of heist expert Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro), and Det. Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino).

    That looked to crystalize into more of a written form when he published a sequel novel, co-written with Meg Gardiner, last August, which has since gone on to become a bestseller.

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    And though that might have been the end of it, you could have predicted that that would never happen if a movie studio had anything to do with it.

    Cut to today, and now Deadline reports that Warner Bros., which distributed the original, is locking in a deal to make the book into a sequel. And Mann, who has Adam Driver starring in his latest film, about Italian sports car entrepreneur Enzo Ferrari, is now looking to cast the actor in the ‘Heat’ sequel.

    Al Pacino and Robert De Niro in 1995's 'Heat.'
    (L to R) Al Pacino and Robert De Niro in 1995’s ‘Heat.’

    What happens in ‘Heat’?

    Mann’s original film follows McCauley, who leads a group of professional bank robbers, taking down major scores around Los Angeles. But after their latest heist goes terribly wrong and ends up in homicide, Det. Hanna finds a clue and becomes obsessed with the case, determined to stop McCauley’s crew.

    Hanna and McCauley are competing against each other in a deadly cat-and-mouse game. Although they are on different sides of the law, they still find huge respect, recognition in each other’s troubled personal lives and they understand their competing motivations –– yet they won’t hesitate to do whatever they can to win the battle.

    Robert De Niro and Val Kilmer in 1995's 'Heat.'
    (L to R) Robert De Niro and Val Kilmer in 1995’s ‘Heat.’

    Related Article: Adam Driver, Nathalie Emmanuel and Forest Whittaker Head for ‘Megalopolis’

    How does ‘Heat 2’ tie in?

    ‘Heat 2’ as a book tells the story of everything that happens before and after to the principal characters. The book jumps between two time periods, the first following Chris Shiherlis (Val Kilmer in the original film) as he tries to evade the LAPD and Hanna following the bank robbery gone bad and moves forward into new territory in the tri-border zone and Southeast Asia.

    The second storyline takes readers back to Chicago in 1988 when McCauley, Shiherlis and their crew are taking scores on the West Coast, the U.S.–Mexico border, and in Chicago. At the same time, Hanna is cutting his teeth as a rising star in the Chicago police department chasing an ultraviolent gang of home invaders.

    The fallout from McCauley’s scores and Hanna’s pursuit cause unexpected repercussions in a parallel narrative.

    While development is at a relatively early stage, we can anticipate Mann heading back to the territory of one of his greatest hits in an interesting new way. And with Driver circling the lead, it’s even more exciting.

    Robert De Niro in 1995's 'Heat.'
    Robert De Niro in 1995’s ‘Heat.’

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  • 17 Things You Never Knew About ‘The Last of the Mohicans’

    Has there been a movie couple in the past quarter century as steamy as Daniel Day-Lewis and Madeleine Stowe in “The Last of the Mohicans“?

    Released 25 years ago this week (on September 25, 1992), Michael Mann‘s pre-Revolutionary adventure saga never got Day-Lewis out of his buckskin or Stowe out of her corset, yet their smoldering glances and passionate embraces sparked more sexual chemistry than screen couples in more explicit movies have displayed.

    “Mohicans” was a hit that transformed Day-Lewis into a Hollywood leading man, proved Mann could do historical epics as well as contemporary crime dramas, and put Wes Studi (who played the villain, Magua) on the map as a character actor. Still, there’s a lot that fans of the movie haven’t seen — the production’s off-camera turmoil, the missing love scene, and the secretly prankish side of the usually intense Day-Lewis. Here’s what really happened in the feral backwoods.
    1. There really was a Col. Munro who led the British forces at Fort William Henry when the French attacked it in 1757. James Fenimore Cooper drew much of his 1826 novel from accounts of the siege’s survivors, but the rest of the characters were his own inventions.

    2. Mann drew more from the 1936 Randolph Scott movie version of “Last of the Mohicans” — a movie he’d enjoyed as a kid — than from Fenimore Cooper’s novel. Not only is the book a notorious slog to read, but it’s also largely an apology for white appropriation of Indian lands, one that wouldn’t have sat well with post-“Dances With Wolves” audiences.
    3. Fortunately, in Mann’s research, he found the diary of Louis-Antoine de Bougainville, a French explorer who served as an officer during the siege. His detailed, witty, sarcastic account of the event served as a bracing counterpoint to Fenimore Cooper’s version.

    4. The unspoiled woodlands of rural New York in 1757 were played by the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina of 1991. Mann spent a reported $6 million just to build the Fort William Henry set to historical specifications.
    5. Day-Lewis brought his usual Method obsessiveness to the part of Hawkeye. Before he came to the set, he spent six months with a trainer building his upper-body strength. In the North Carolina forest, he spent another month learning Daniel Boone-type survival skills, including hunting, skinning animals, building canoes, wielding a tomahawk, and loading and firing a 12-pound flintlock rifle.

    6. Like a real frontiersman, he brought his rifle everywhere, even to Christmas dinner. And while some of the actors and crew spent their downtime listening to Walkmans and smoking Marlboros, Day-Lewis made a point of avoiding modern technology and rolling his own smokes. Explaining what drew him to the role, he said, “I liked the idea of a man who had not been touched by 20th-century neurosis, a life that isn’t drawn inwards.”
    7. Russell Means was 52 when he made his big-screen debut as Chingachgook. He was already famous, however, for his activism as the national director of the American Indian Movement.

    8. Wes Studi, too, had been an Indian activist before turning to acting later in life. (Before “Mohicans,” his most prominent credit was as the Indian mystic in Jim Morrison’s visions in Oliver Stone‘s “The Doors.”) Both Means and Studi had been involved in the Wounded Knee occupation in 1973, 18 years before they reunited on the “Mohicans” set as antagonists.
    9. Much of the secondary romance, between Alice Munro (Jodhi May) and Chingachgook’s son Uncas (Eric Schweig) didn’t make it into the movie. It was rumored that there was a more explicit love scene between them, cut at the insistence of the 17-year-old actress’s mother, who chaperoned May throughout the shoot. Schweig, however, has said that their scene was more “puppy love” than its reputation suggests, and that Mann de-emphasized the Alice-Uncas romance in order not to distract from the main love story between Hawkeye and Cora Munro (Stowe).

    10. Hawkeye and Cora may have been mentally undressing each other on screen, but when the cameras stopped, Day-Lewis and Stowe were busy trying to punk each other. Their practical-joke war started with food fights and escalated to a bloody car crash, faked by Day-Lewis and his chauffeur, for Stowe to stumble upon.
    11. Mann was notoriously as much a perfectionist as his star, supposedly shooting up to 20 takes of many scenes and keeping the night-shoot crew working from dusk until dawn. An oft-repeated (but apocryphal) anecdote from the set had Mann, at the end of a long night, complaining about an orange light messing up his shot, only to have a crew member respond, “That’s the sun, Michael.”

    12. By the end of the shoot, Mann had gone $7 million over his $33 million budget. Oscar-winning costume designer James Acheson had left the production, citing creative differences with Mann, to be replaced by Elsa Zamparelli.
    13. In post-production, Mann scrapped composer Trevor Jones‘ electronic score and decided he wanted a more traditional orchestral score. Jones reworked his score but didn’t have time to finish it, and Mann had to hire composer Randy Edelman to complete the music.

    14. After the shoot, Day-Lewis had a hard time shaking the character. Complaining of hallucinations and claustrophobia (he was no longer used to spending much time indoors), the actor turned to a French holistic doctor, who prescribed him a potion of mystery ingredients, which Day-Lewis assumed to be a concoction of herbs and alcohol. Whatever it was, it seemed to do the trick.
    15. “Last of the Mohicans” earned $75.5 million at the North American box office, making it the 17th biggest hit of 1992.

    16. Despite critical raves, the film earned just one Oscar nomination. The category was Best Sound, and “Mohicans” won.
    17. Mann has yet to make another movie set before the 20th century. After “Mohicans,” he said, “My next movie will have flat floors and people who wear zippers. I’ve had it with nature and stuff that falls off, everything tied together with thongs.”

  • 13 Things You Never Knew About ‘Manhunter,’ the First Hannibal Lecter Movie

    Michael Mann‘s “Manhunter” has been such a vastly influential crime thriller that you’d hardly know it was a massive flop in theaters. Released 30 years ago this week, on August 15, 1986,
    “Manhunter” cost $15 million to make but returned only $8.6 million at the box office.

    Nonetheless, it would earn recognition over the years as the first movie to be made from one of Thomas Harris’ Hannibal Lecter novels, so we have it to thank for such films as “Hannibal.” Plus, it was the first major appearance in pop culture of a new type of crime fighter, the criminal profiler who uses forensics and psychology to hunt down killers, an innovation that led to such TV dramas as “The X-Files,” “Profiler,” “Criminal Minds,” and the “CSI” franchise, whose flagship series took its leading man, William Petersen, from “Manhunter.”

    Read on for killer behind-the-scenes details of the making of this seminal cult favorite.1. Producer Dino De Laurentiis was behind this adaptation of Harris’s novel “Red Dragon,” but having recently released the Michael Cimino flop “Year of the Dragon,” he wanted a different title. He also didn’t want viewers thinking it was a martial arts film. So he changed the title to “Manhunter,” over the objections of director Mann and co-star Brian Cox (pictured).

    2. For the lead role of FBI profiler Will Graham, the filmmakers considered Nick Nolte, Richard Gere, Mel Gibson, and Paul Newman. Mann ultimately went with Petersen (below), after seeing him play a relentless sleuth in 1985’s “To Live and Die in L.A.“3. For the part of Hannibal Lecktor (yep, that’s how it was spelled in the script), the producers thought of John Lithgow, Mandy Patinkin, and Brian Dennehy. It was Dennehy, however, who recommended Cox.

    4. Tom Noonan, who won the role of serial killer Francis “The Tooth Fairy” Dolarhyde, made a point of not meeting any of the other actors until his scenes with them; that way, he could get into the mindset of a solipsistic stalker isolated in his own fantasy world.
    5. Noonan ultimately decided not to research any real-life serial killers to prepare for his role, but others on the set did. To learn how investigators cope with the disturbing details of such cases, Petersen consulted with the FBI Behavioral Science Unit and Chicago Police detective Charles Adamson — the co-creator of Mann’s “Crime Story” TV series and the inspiration for Al Pacino‘s character in Mann’s later classic “Heat.” The star also talked with California investigators on the then-fresh Richard Ramirez “Night Stalker” case.

    6. Scottish-born Cox took inspiration from Scottish serial killer Peter Manuel. Mann, who had corresponded for years with jailed killer Dennis Wayne Wallace, learned from the convict that he had been obsessed with a woman he barely knew and considered Iron Butterfly’s “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” to be their song, which is how Mann picked the sinister-sounding track for the movie’s climax.

    7. To play Reba McClane, Dolarhyde’s blind love interest, Joan Allen (pictured) did research at the New York Institute for the Blind and practiced by walking blindfolded around New York City.
    8. Petersen claims the scene of Graham falling asleep on a plane while examining crime scene photos had to be shot guerrilla-filmmaking style, as United Airlines had declined to give the production permission to shoot on a commercial jetliner. Mann bought coach tickets anyway on a 4 p.m. United flight from Chicago to Florida, so that there would be a sunset visible from the right side of the plane, and the crew packed their cameras and lights in their carry-on bags. (This was in the days before 9/11 and omnipresent metal detectors at airports.) They filmed the scene on the fly — literally — and compensated the passengers and the startled and upset flight crew for the nuisance by giving away “Miami Vice” crew jackets.

    9. Scheduling on the production was so tight that the special effects crew had already left the shoot when it came time to film the climactic gunfight in Dolarhyde’s kitchen, so Mann and the rest of the crew had to improvise the FX. They’d blow ketchup through hoses to simulate blood spatter. Allen has said Petersen caught a shard of glass in his thigh from a jar tossed to shatter as if hit by bullets, but a source close to the filmmakers insists no jars were tossed.

    10. Noonan spent so much time lying in a pool of fake blood, made from dyed corn syrup, that he got stuck to the floor.11. Like the real-life profilers Petersen had met, he couldn’t shake the job at the end of the day. After “Manhunter,” he went on to do a play in Chicago but kept feeling the Will Graham character coming out in his performance. He finally shaved his beard, cut his hair, and dyed it blond so he’d see a different face when he looked in the mirror.

    12. At the time Cox was making “Manhunter,” he shared an agent with Anthony Hopkins, who was then busy starring in “King Lear” at England’s National Theatre. Five years later, when Jonathan Demme cast Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter in “Silence of the Lambs,” Cox was playing Lear at the National Theatre.
    13. Mann hired cinematographer Dante Spinotti for “Manhunter” on De Laurentiis’s recommendation and ended up working with him on five movies. Spinotti was also the cinematographer for Brett Ratner‘s “Red Dragon” remake in 2002.

    UPDATE: This article has been updated to include new information from a source close to the filmmakers.

  • ‘Blackhat’ Review: A Terrifically Entertaining Cyber Thriller

    Movies about computers or computer hackers have never been particularly exciting, at least on the big screen. Maybe that’s because the act of typing something on a keyboard while little words or hieroglyphics of code appear on the screen in front of you isn’t the most cinematic conceit. There’s not a lot of drama or suspense to be mined from, say, checking your email or engaging in an online chat. No matter how fraught with tension these acts are in real life might seem, they rarely translate to anything even remotely gripping on the big screen. And there is a used car lot full of movies that have attempted to mine thrills from people doing things on a computer and failed miserably (“The Net,” “Hackers,” “Swordfish,” etc.)

    All of this brings us to “Blackhat,” the latest film from Michael Mann, arguably one of American cinema’s most visceral filmmakers. It’s odd that he would choose a subject like cyber crime to sink his teeth into; this is the man who gets a raw thrill out of the ballet of broken glass, broken bones, and the way that people talk to each other, face-to-face. But of the many pleasures of “Blackhat,” a movie that seems to have been instantly dismissed for reasons beyond my understanding, is watching how perfect Mann ends up being for the material. In the hands of a filmmaker less interested in the raw physicality of movies, it would have been a bore. Under Mann, “Blackhat” is positively electric.

    The movie opens with an unknown hacker futzing with a nuclear reactor in China and causing a fairly dangerous meltdown (shades of the similar opening to “Godzilla”). In order to figure out who is responsible and stop similar, even-more-deadly attacks, a joint task force made up of Chinese and American officials spring a super handsome hacker named Hathaway (Chris Hemsworth) from a maximum security prison to join in the investigation. Yes, this is silly, but Mann and his co-screenwriter Morgan Dvais Foehl make it just plausible enough that you never completely step out of the movie and go, “Wait… what?”

    In the interest of full disclosure, Viola Davis co-stars as a member of the task force, and Yorick van Wageningen, the creepy guy who raped Rooney Mara’s Lisbeth Salander in “Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” is, somewhat predictably, the bad guy. Mann is known for his characterization through physicality, and there’s a moment of shocking earnestness when a character asks Davis who she lost in September 11th. It’s an alarming moment of introspection and one of the movie’s most touching scenes.

    Part of what makes “Blackhat” such an effective cyber thriller (the best, probably, since Phil Alden Robinson’s criminally underrated “Sneakers”) is that he always favors something immediate and tactile, stuff like shootouts and fist fights and stakeouts. Hemsworth is an unconvincing nerd, but he makes a passing comment about how he had to keep both his mind and his body sharp in prison, and, again, it makes just enough sense in this skewered world. And Mann occasionally goes out of his way to remind us that he’s still a dweeb at heart; while suiting up to face down the big villain at the end, he makes impromptu armor out of old magazines. (In another scene he fretfully works on a computer, his shirt hanging open to reveal his chiseled chest.)

    Some of the suspense set pieces, including a super-intense shoot-out and the climax, set at some kind of ceremonial procession, are truly top notch Michael Mann. Like shootout-at-the-end-of-“Heat” good. In the last few movies Mann has favored a more crunchy, low-res form of digital photography; lots of extreme close ups and hand-held camerawork. Here he returns to his more cinematic roots, when he was known as one of Hollywood’s chief stylists, offering a compelling combination of the kind of fluidity of earlier movies, with that immediate, no-frills approach that he brought to projects like “Public Enemies” and “Collateral.”

    All that said, it will be easy for people to pick apart “Blackhat.” Everything from the plot mechanics, including the somewhat byzantine nature of the attacks (there’s a bit about the criminal using the stock market to raise the price of soy futures that soared almost completely over my head), to the relationships between characters to Hemsworth’s dicey American accent will, undoubtedly, all come under fire. But none of this dilutes the pure, raw excitement of “Blackhat.” It’s a movie about computers where keystrokes are just as important and full of tension as bullet hits, and where a new era of crime is mapped out in front of you, comprised totally of ones and zeroes. Exhilarating and powerful, “Blackhat” is the first thriller in the computer age to actually thrill. And, under Mann’s watchful, artful eye, it does so spectacularly.

    Bottom line: “Blackhat” is a superb cyber thriller starring an incredibly handsome Chris Hemsworth (without his trademark hammer, although at one point he wields an axe pretty well), full of giant set pieces, international scope, and some sequences that will have you gripping the theater arm rest (or your partner’s forearm). Yes, it’s ostensibly about computer hacking, but director Michael Mann makes it a terrifically entertaining real-world exercise in large-scale suspense.

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