Michael Mann’s big-screen iteration of his hit 1980s television series “Miami Vice” was up against it from the moment it was greenlit. The problem was right there in the title, and what it represented. When people who were old enough to have watched “Miami Vice” during its run from 1984 to 1990 recalled the show, they remembered a series that was Reagan-era style over substance. It was cool during a profoundly uncool era, a byproduct of empty MTV gloss bolstered by ultra-unhip music from Glenn Frey and Phil Collins. Star Don Johnson — unshaven in a white sportcoat, rocking white Cole Haan kicks without socks — was the epitome of the series.
The shimmering South Florida surfaces was one reason to watch, but anyone who paid actual attention to the plotlines knew going into Mann’s film that the show was always about a rough, thankless, inherently deceitful job and the toll it takes on those that perform it well. Also, the music was often killer, thank you, with hot tracks from the likes of Grandmaster Flash, Fine Young Cannibals, and Peter Gabriel.
True to form, critics and regular moviegoers paid zero attention to the compelling narrative of 2006’s “Miami Vice.” All they could see was the attire, architecture, sleek cars, and sleeker go-fast boats. One of the film’s biggest hurdles was Mann getting two taciturn performances out of his leads, Colin Farrell (Sonny Crockett) and Jamie Foxx (Rico Tubbs). Farrell’s Crockett was written to be a ladykiller — and he is, but he has a pleading, soulful intensity, as opposed to Johnson’s self-regarding smolder.
Critics largely dismissed Mann’s film, while audiences stayed away after the big opening weekend (Mann himself had issues with the movie). The film has since found a fervent cult following, but Farrell is not one of its admirers. To date, he has expressed only regret over the movie, and for a very good reason.
Making Miami Vice was a rotten experience for Colin Farrell
In a 2010 interview with Total Film (via Belfast Telegraph), Farrell admitted, “I didn’t like [‘Miami Vice’] so much — I thought it was style over substance and I accept a good bit of the responsibility.” In Farrell’s view, the film’s major problem was its dour tone:
“It was never going to be ‘Lethal Weapon,’ but I think we missed an opportunity to have a friendship that also had some elements of fun.”
If that’s what Farrell wanted out of “Miami Vice,” he probably should’ve passed on the movie — which, unfortunately, would’ve been career suicide given that, at the time, he was coming off three flops in “Alexander,” “A Home at the End of the World,” and “The New World,” and was about to plunge into another trio of disappointments in “Ask the Dust,” “Cassandra’s Dream,” and “Pride and Glory.” But you can’t begrudge Farrell for looking for a bit of fun on the set of “Miami Vice” because, as he told British talk show host Jonathan Ross, he was going through the roughest patch of his life. In his own words:
“By the end of ‘Miami Vice,’ I was just done. Basically, I’d been fairly drunk or high since I was 14. I was very drunk and high for 16 years, so it was a tough life change, and I was dying. I’m one of the lucky ones.”
Farrell eventually rebounded, and should’ve won an Oscar in 2022 for his performance in “The Banshees of Inisherin.” Now that things are looking up for him, perhaps he can step back and look at “Miami Vice,” and, just maybe, see what those of us who adore the film see (/Film has argued it’s one of Michael Mann’s best films). If not, at least he has an excellent excuse.