So here's a film that I've wanted to write about for a few days now. It's not an independent and it's not shot on a shoestring, in fact it had a gigantic budget and all-star cast. Regardless, I thought it was pretty exciting. Yes, I'm talking about Miami Vice. Many may scoff out of hand, but let me explain myself.

First of all, I must say that Miami Vice director Michael Mann's Heat is one of my favorite movies. Quiet and brooding, it's punctuated with choreographed and controlled violence that doesn't come across as gratuitous or glorifying. Instead, it comes across as cool in a contemplative and emotional sense--not cool in a cheesy Hollywood sense.

That said, following on Collateral, Miami Vice continues very much in this same mold. But what I thought was particularly exciting about Miami Vice was the fact that it was shot on video. Mann used the Viper Filmstream camera, which is definitely a few clicks above consumer and pro-sumer mini-DV, but doesn't shy away from the "video look." The night scenes are grainy, depth of field is deep and "video" looking, and everything looks like it may have (and perhaps was) lit only with available light.

Now on the other hand, every shot is carefully, precisely framed, and quite beautiful (Mann's trademark). But the thing is that in a lot of his shots, Mann doesn't run away from what many people would disparage as the "video look." I and many other people have made a lot of noise and excuses in conversation about how "video doesn't look good" and "you can't shoot this or that in video." Miami Vice kinda blows that brand of excuse-making away. I think that's very, very exciting.

Vice cost over $100 million, and there are planes, helicopters, fast boats, fast cars, exotic homes, and elaborately staged gun battles. But by shooting on video and playing an action-thiller plot straight, Michael Mann shows yet again that the specifics of the technical medium your story is shot on (35mm! 16mm! HD! DV!) is not an issue, distraction, or excuse. The story, shot composition, writing, characters, settings, plotting, editing, and hundreds of other elements large and small are what make a good movie.

Was Miami Vice the best movie I've seen lately, with the best writing or characters? No. Was it a very, very enjoyable action movie made by a talented director? Absolutely. Not bad for a video.