If Ali didn't exist, Michael Mann would have made him up. Like every one of his other protagonists -- from Jeffrey Wigand (The Insider, 1999) all the way back to Rain Murphy (The Jericho Mile, 1979) -- the Ali at the heart of Mann's new film is a driven individual, willing to sacrifice everything in order to stand up for what he truly believes in. This makes it easy to understand why Mann's Ali focuses on the middle part of the Greatest's life: his dealings with Malcolm X, the Nation of Islam and his refusal to be drafted into the Vietnam war are all things we can imagine other Mann characters doing. The film that emerges is less like the biopic you might expect and more like the impressionistic mural that haunts the end of the movie.
From a technical standpoint, the film is nothing less than a knockout. Mann's pursuit of perfection has become legendary for a reason, and here we see why. Every period detail has been carefully re-created, even the fight sequences. Not only has Mann restaged them punch for punch, he's done so in a way that's never been done before, employing new technology to put us into the fights -- on the back of Ali's glove, on his shoulder, on the mat. The effect is stunning and makes these sequences as unique as those in Scorsese's Raging Bull (1980).
But perhaps the greatest pleasures in Ali come from the performances. Every single one of them has a zeal that really gives this movie its true heart and soul. Even Jada Pinkett Smith, in her short turn as Ali's first wife, manages to shine beyond the slim ability she had shown before this. Jamie Foxx gives the movie its welcome injections of humor and Jon Voight is nothing short of brilliant. But it's Will Smith's show and he knows it. And yes, his transformation does indeed deserve all the attention it's getting, Oscar nomination included. For the first half-hour of the film, you can't stop thinking you're watching Will Smith really pull off this Ali schtick; after that, you forget you're watching Will Smith at all. For those who saw Six Degrees of Separation (1994), Smith's acting ability comes as no surprise. And his natural "Big Willie Style" actually serves him well in the Ali role. Who else but a big mouth could really play a big mouth? But with Men In Black II due out this summer, one wonders how long his newfound respect will last. At least he'll always have this film to prove what he did.
In spite of all this, die-hard fans and experts on Ali will no doubt find plenty to quibble with. Not everything really happened the way it's presented on screen and even with limiting itself to a decade-long slice from Ali's life, the film still can't escape feeling as if it's a stone skipping over the vast lake that is Ali, the real man. But that's just a weakness in the biopic genre rather than a fault of this movie. For those interested in seeing with new eyes, Michael Mann's Ali offers generous rewards.
Reviewed by Mark Steensland
Reader comments about Ali
Darryl Palmer (Email address withheld) writes:
Ali is probably the most documented human alive today, and so anyone looking for amazing new facts and revelations will be dissappointed. I mean what could a film document that a million press articles and documentaries haven't already? Well of course that aint the point and was never going to be with someone as astute and articulate at Micheal Mann at the helm. Instead the fabric of Ali and his realities are driven home,the turbulence of a man going through every twist and squirm of emotion, as the country he resides in tries to conform the ultimate non-conformist. The close meaningful and painful moments that make up the harsh reality of real life are here and they are revelatory and resonate resoundingly.
Ghost (Email address withheld) writes:
A brilliantly directed film by michael mann. The scenes of Africa, in particular when will smith is jogging, is very good.
The factor that was always going to make this film, even before it was released was will smith. How can anyone ever begin to take this film seriously with a man like him in the lead. This guy has no honour about him - he produces kiddies stuff and will never be taken seriously. As a result the film can not be taken seriously and one has to feel sorry for michael mann's efforts.
Peter (thrash@skynet.be) writes:
I would like the name from the very last song in the movie. thr song they play by the lirycs
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