Michael Mann
Did you know Michael Mann wrote the first four
episodes of Starsky And Hutch?
There are many director's whose films and work
I admire greatly. There are a few film director's whom I consider
extraordinary talents, both for their story-telling and their
visual power, for example, Hitchcock, Ford, Lucas, Spielberg,
Coppola, Scott and Cameron, but Michael Mann is the only director
who has influenced my own writing. It was whilst watching
Heat I realised the space he allows his characters to breathe
freely in scenes. I get the feeling, watching Michael Mann's
films, that he exercises a very light touch. I like that and
allow my characters a very loose rein in my novels since the
first time I saw Heat.
You only have to look at Michael Man's films
to see what a great fim maker Michael Mann is. Mann was the
first to bring Thomas Harris's Hannibal Lecter to the screem
in the film Manhunter, and what about Thief with James Caan,
a movie that is an enduring all time favourite of mine. Then
we have The Last Of The Mohicans, another favourite and, in
my view, a true classic. But what about Insider? In my opinion,
Russell Crowe's best film and that will be down to Michael
Mann's light touch as the audience really gets to feel the
tension at the centre of the character and get damned angry
and afraid with him. And Collateral, with Tom Cruise, and,
in my very humble opinion, Cruise's best performance. And
Ali, with Will Smith, and many consider that to be Smith's
best performance... Why all the best performances? In my view
because he allows the actors more freedom and an earmark of
Mann's direction is he never rushes scenes to fill a time
slot, he allows scenes to unfold under their own momentum,
but that is just my opinion and the feeling I get... Big respect
to you Michael.
Tim Rees
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