With just eleven films to his credit, Michael Mann has managed to make a singular and innovative mark in the Hollywood industry. Heat, The Insider, Ali, Collateral, Miami Vice, and Public Enemies have redefined American cinema so completely as ensure Mann's place as one of the most important filmmakers of the last four decades.
His unique filmmaking style can be recognized from just a few shots: a predilection for urban settings – particularly Los Angeles, whose image he was able to overhaul – and breathtaking night shots; a taste for supremely skilled but solitary men; an obsession with the world of crime; and a contemplative way of filming that combines fascination and melancholy.