Mann's meticulousness and attention to detail deters the film from its' objective...

Rating: Null/10 (2 January 2002)

Michael Mann's meticulous attention to detail has proven to be one of his strongest characteristics in past films such as 'Heat' and 'The Insider'. Yet in Mann's Muhammad Ali biopic 'Ali', it is that very same facet of creation that slowly winds this film down into an authentically detailed, yet disappointingly inorganic piece of film. 'Ali' opens with an exhausting musical montage that intercuts between Ali's introductory sequences of his personal life and a singing crooner in a jazz club. Despite being beautifully filmed, and being timed perfectly and succinctly to the images on screen, it is that meticulousness to detail that sweeps the essence of the film from under us. Mann wants to convey a personal, intricate and subtle, stylish piece of film in which he unwittingly sacrifices development and depth in order to achieve a great looking film. Mann uses his widescreen lens beautifully in order to capture some tense-filled moments especially when showcasing Malcolm X's (Mario Van Peebles) descent into rejection by his very people. His framing is impeccable especially when displaying the ruggedness of a jog into the night, or the brutality of a boxing match. Furthermore, if one were to pay close attention, he uses a myriad of intentional out of focus shots to seize the frenzy contained within some scenes. Some might argue that Mann went the wrong direction in choosing to create Ali's biopic, others might argue that all these classy shots, stylish angles and strong performances cannot redeem a film from an erratic script. Gregory Allen Howard's penned script focuses primarily on the 10 years of Ali's life leading up to his historical battle of 'The Rumble in the Jungle' in Zaire versus George Foreman. While quite possibly over dramatizing at times, the script retains an interesting element that was not expected - and perhaps unnecessary. The first act sees Malcolm X having an instrumental role on Cassius Clay's beliefs leading up to, and after his name change to Muhammad Ali. X's role in the first part of the film is so predominant that at times it seems as if we are watching a Malcolm X piece instead of 'Ali'.
The script as aforementioned focuses on 10 years of Ali's life and sees several marriages, several conflicts and several fights all within the course of this 2 hour and 39 minute film. Will Smith plays 'Ali' with versatility and exudes the arrogance the real Ali was no stranger to. Smith's mannerisms are impeccable; his delivery is flawless (note the 'you are my oppressors' out of court scene) and Smith truly shows the audience that he wants us to know he can do this. Smith's real life wife Jada Pinkett Smith plays Ali's first wife who converted to the Muslim Religion in a small yet memorable role. Notice the unnecessary love scene as a poor excuse to use this real life couple as a means to display the love of the two characters. In addition, we go through other wives and deep flirtations as Ali works his way to the film's climax - 'The Rumble in the Jungle'. Joining Smith in the part that steals Smith's thunder is Jon Voight as ABC sports caster Howard Cosell. Voight's acting is a real treat to watch especially if one knows how the real Howard Cosell spoke in his broadcasts. Furthermore, Mann does a terrific job at capturing the interplay between the on air quarries and behind the scenes admiration for Ali and Cosell. Ron Silver also joins the cast as Angelo Dundee, Ali's trainer. And it would be a sin not to mention the underrated Jeffrey Wright as Howard Bingham; who although not having a dominant role in the film, still captures your attention as a stuttering photographer. With this great cast and seemingly fantastic director, how can such a film not exceed expectations? Many theories will be in place. Yet, one aspect of this film are the drawn out sequences that occupy much of the film's length. There is indeed such a thing as detail, and then there is of course borderline obsession to detail. Unfortunately, Mann falls victim to the latter. One such event is the dramatic courting between Ali and his many women encountered within the film. Mann gets us into the very heart of these relationships and makes us truly understand Ali's perspectives. Yet, in comparison to how Mann incorporates these scenarios into the film, they are irrelevant. Furthermore, we track Ali's entourage and their wrongdoings as they all have no effect on Ali because of course he is the 'People's Champ'. Also, the most notable lacklustre facet of the film are Mann's disappointing fight sequences. Although Mann uses some great shots within these scenes including a view from the opponent's stomach as the punches land hard and strong; in a nutshell, these scenes are too long. They are stretched out and have too much of a build up for too little a pay off as Ali's devastating one shot jab that sends the opponent to the mat. One of the harshest criticisms about the film will be the length. This in turn affects the pacing which could have easily been rectified by trimming down many sequences that really wanted to 'drill' in the symbolism attempting to be conveyed. Notice Ali's trek in Zaire as he abandons his entourage while on a jog and steps into the brazen neighbourhoods as he studies the graffiti on the wall as his inspiration for his big fight. That one sequence alone could have sped up the pace and got us to the climax quicker. Furthermore, Mann uses his cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki repeatedly to frame his love for musical sequences. Whether it's an actual musical performance or a montage, Mann stays that extra minute longer than necessary that adds up in the final cut. It might seem a tad harsh as to aforementioned critiques, yet in this film despite a surprisingly strong Will Smith and a great cast; the film never takes off and gives us a full involvement into Ali's life. There is without a doubt an extraordinary and painstakingly great amount of detail and craftsmanship put into the film, yet the final result is a film that will not be remembered like the man in which it is based upon.
Giancarlo's Rating: ** (out of four)