The best at several things

Rating: 10/10 (21 August 2009)

This is undoubtedly Mann's finest, and I'm not sure even he, himself, can really top it. If you ever wanted to know about crime in L.A., this is what to watch. The plot is excellent, and consistently told well, so that the audience never loses track, and in spite of great complexity, it manages to not be difficult to follow. Every single performance in this is spot-on and effective, from the two acting veteran leads through the young and always talented Portman, and to the smallest, briefest role. The characters are all fleshed out, credible and interesting. This doesn't take sides. It gives insight into the private lives of people on both sides of the law, those who uphold it as well as those who break it. Not everyone is in a positive light, but no one is unfairly treated by the presentation of that type of person, and the word "one-note" is simply not part of Michael's vocabulary when he penned the marvelous script. The emotion is genuine, and this is immensely involving and engaging from first to last frame. This is long, however, which hopefully will not deter any possible viewers. It's around three hours long, give or take twenty minutes, depending on the version. There is a little humor, at least worth chuckles, and it isn't trying to leave you in stitches. The dialog is sharp and impeccably delivered, often saying a lot with few lines. This has concise social commentary. It also has magnificent suspense and tension. Production values leave nothing to be desired. The action is among the most unforgettable committed to celluloid since its invention. Realism is sky-high, with next to no Hollywood(in fact, in all aspects of this), and I kid you not, when those guns go off, you can *feel* it. Nothing fancy, no stylization. Instead, every shot comes off as having an impact, as being dangerous. People actually reload, accuracy is an issue and the firearms can't magically handle whatever situation they're used in. Pretty much any moment of this that has bullets flying is epic. The ending is amazing, if I do argue with the very last bit. Hey, MM and finales... anyway, it doesn't bother me enough to lower my rating any. There is a lot of strong language, and some bloody violence and disturbing content. I recommend this to any fan of drama who can stomach it. 10/10