A frustrating reality of filmmaking is that it's all about what
ends up on the screen; no matter how adept your director is or how
capable the cast, at the end of the day the only thing that can make
or break a film in the eyes of an audience is how well it plays as a
complete narrative. The pedigree of Michael Mann's Ali was formidable,
with a respected, Oscar-nominated director, casting and a subject of
mythic proportions. Mann seemed a perfect choice to not only dissect
such a lionized public figure as Cassius Clay, aka Muhammed Ali, but
to break the boundaries that usually confine the dreaded Hollywood
biopic.
Alas, the final film is a scattered, sometimes
effective yet often impenetrable mishmash of a film with glaringly
obvious missed opportunities. Not to say that it's a huge failure -
Emmanuel Lubezki's striking photography single-handedly saves the film
from being movie-of-the-week tripe. While the mind-bogglingly
elongated boxing scenes (the film's first match clocks in at an
interminable 12-odd minutes) are realistic but emotionally bloated.
One can't deny that Ali is a treasure to look at, if not to watch.
The film follows Ali over a few years in his career, from his
preparation for his historic title bout with Sonny Liston to his
legendary "Rumble in the Jungle" with George Foreman in
1974. During this time, we have a fly-on-the-wall look at Clay's
interactions with Malcolm X (Mario Van Peebles), his many love
interests (Jada Pinkett Smith and Nona Gaye, to name a few) and his
on- and off-screen compatriot, Howard Cosell (a role which brought Jon
Voight an Oscar nomination).
Upon my first viewing of the
film, I felt Will Smith's interpretation of the Muhammed Ali celebrity
caricature to be gimmicky and derivative, but watching the film again,
I discovered some of the many deeper levels of emotional truth Smith
was able to convey. Smith has always been a top-of-the-marquee star
but seemed almost content to pigeonhole himself into the same old
roles, so was in theory an inspired choice. His handsome physicality
and wry sense of wit made him a stellar candidate for the part, and
watch the way he physically inhabits the character. He's bulkier -
more of a beefcake than his winky, thin Special Agent in Men in Black
- and this brings a heft of character equal to or even greater than
his pumped-up torso. He's working with a very specific voice pattern
but he succeeds in bringing a proud, dignified air to the
character. 
Given such a strong director and cast, perhaps my
complaints with the film lie almost entirely with its screenplay.
There are four screenwriters credited here (Stephen J. Rivele,
Christopher Wilkinson, Eric Roth and Michael Mann), and the scope of
the film is almost too much. Yes, they could have done the typical
birth-to-present-day full-life investigation of Muhammed Ali, but even
with less than a decade to cover, the already-long film seems to rush
by without giving its audience much of a chance to soak it all in. The
film's opening is a perfect example. Mann introduces Clay's world and
the people who inhabit it by intercutting with a vibrant soul singer
serenading a mostly-female audience. In theory, this idea is
interesting - the cultural imperative of "black" music a
sociological breeding ground for an American interpretation of Ali's
sensibilities - but the song and the introduction to the film go on
for almost fifteen minutes - it devolves from a history lesson into
excessive exposition.
In any case, what we're left with on
this initial DVD release is a film that has much to be admired, yet
not very illuminating or entertaining. Even at home, Ali remains a
shockingly uninvolving and missed opportunity. Michael Mann is by all
means a filmmaker to continue to watch - even after a financial
setback like this one, he'll be wowing us in cinemas for. And Will
Smith may finally graduate into more multifaceted and intriguing part.
Even though Smith and Mann seem perfect for the gig, Ali is a
disappointment - one with virtues aplenty, to be sure, but that lacks
the proud, diligent, inspiring quality that both Muhammed Ali and Will
Smith possess in spades.
Video: How Does The Disc
Look?
The impeccable 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer
is this DVD's crowning glory - meriting a few viewings just on its
own. Like Oliver Stone's more recent films, Mann uses different types
of film stocks and cameras to grant his film a layered, multi-textured
feel. Color saturation is stunning with perfect blacks and contrast,
for an amazingly lifelike, three-dimensional image. The print is
pristine and there is little in the way of artifacts and nary an
artifact to mention. A spectacular-looking transfer. 
Audio:
How Does the Disc Sound?
The include Dolby Digital 5.1
surround track is by all means a fancy presentation if a bit mushy.
The film's expansive dynamic range is wonderful and the sense of
separation among the front soundstage often striking and expansive.
However, what keeps this sound mix from being perfect is Mann's
aesthetic choice to keep the mix front-heavy. Dialogue scenes sound
wonderful, but the film's musical montages and even many of the boxing
scenes are overcrowded and lacking in rear envelopment. The mix simply
sounds cluttered and lacks real ambiance or subtly. Low end is good
and the overall tonal quality of the track excellent, but this capable
mix is not quite up to the same reference-quality standard as the
transfer.
Also included is a French 5.1 dub, English, French
and Spanish subtitles and English Closed Captions.
Supplements: What Goodies Are There?
Not a lot -
there are original theatrical trailers included for Men in
Black 2, Spider-Man and Ali and Ali's trailer is not a bad one -but
that's it.
DVD-ROM Exclusives: What do you get when you pop
the disc in your PC?
No ROM extras have been included.
Parting Thoughts
Fans of Ali should grab this one up
right away, even though it's a bit pricey at $27.95, because the
transfer serves the film beautifully despite the lack of supplements.
But for those who haven't seen the film, temper your expectations
based on the initial release buzz and you just may get a great deal
out of this deeply flawed biography of one of America's great
treasures.
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