Ali [Director's Cut]

Director: Michael Mann Michael Mann

Overview

"Michael Mann's biopic Ali rightfully earned Will Smith the best reviews of his career as well as a nomination for Best Actor from the Academy. Mann has added scenes and extended other sequences to create the director's cut that appears on this disc. The film itself is presented in a widescreen anamorphic transfer that preserves the original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.40:1. The English soundtrack is rendered in Dolby Digital 5.1. English, Spanish, and French subtitles are accessible. Supplemental materials include a commentary track recorded by Mann. His comments tend toward commenting on the historical events depicted in the film rather than to the filmmaking process, but he does offer much insight into his intentions with the film. A newly produced making-of documentary rounds out this solid release."

Product Details

Release Date:	06/01/2004
UPC:	0043396090569
Original Release:	2001
Rating:	NR
Source:	SONY PICTURES
Region Code:	1
Sound:	[Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	2:45:00
Sales rank:	54,255

Special Features

Revised scenes and never-before-seen footage; Commentary with director/co-writer Michael Mann; Exclusive new documentary on the making of the movie

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Will Smith	Cassius Clay/Muhammad Ali
Jamie Foxx	Drew 'Bundini' Brown
Jon Voight	Howard Cosell
Mario Van Peebles	Malcolm X,Malcolm X's daughter
Ron Silver	Angelo Dundee
Jeffrey Wright	Howard Bingham
Mykelti Williamson	Don King
Jada Pinkett Smith	Sonji
Nona Gaye	Belinda Ali
Michael Michele	Veronica Porche
Joe Morton	Chauncey Eskridge
Paul Rodriguez	Dr. Ferdie Pacheco
Bruce McGill	Bradley
Barry Shabaka Henley	Herbert Muhammad
Giancarlo Esposito	Cassius Clay, Sr.
Laurence Mason	Luis Sarria
Lawrence Mason	Luis Sarria
LeVar Burton	Martin Luther King, Jr.
Albert Hall	Elijah Muhammad
David Cubitt	Robert Lipsyte
Ted Levine	Joe Smiley
Candy Brown	Odessa,Odessa(as Candy Brown Houston)
David Elliott	Sam Cooke
Shari Watson	Woman Singer
Malick Bowens	Joseph Mobutu
Michael Bentt	Sonny Liston
James Toney	'Smokin' Joe Frazier(as James N. Toney)
Alfred Cole	Ernie Terrell
Charles Shufford	George Foreman
Victoria Dillard	Betty Shabazz
Brad Greenquist	Marlin Thomas
David Haines	Rudy Clay/Rahaman Ali
Doug Hale	Judge Ingraham
Kim Robillard	Jimmy Cannon
Gailard Sartain	Gordon Davidson
William Utay	The Doctor
David Hess	Actor
James Gilbert	Sparring Partner in Africa
Maestro Harrell	Young Cassius Clay
Millard Arnold	Doc Broadus
Jean Bikoi	Additional Aide to Mobutu
Edda Collier	Blond French reporter
Vincent Cook	Jimmy Ellis
Lee Cummings	Hunter Thompson
Rufus Dorsey	Floyd Patterson
Themba Gasa	Idi Amin
Marc Grapey	Bob Arum
Andrew Jones	Don Kings Aide
Cimanga Kalambay	Additional Aide to Mobutu
Nathaniel Malekane	Archie Moore
David Prudham	Madison Square Garden announcer
Marc Mboli	Additional Aide to Mobutu
Henrikennyo Mukenyi	Bula
Mark Mulder	Reporter
Zaa Nkweta	Foreman Fight Announcer
Robert Sale	Jerry Quarry
LaDonna Tittle	Bundini's landlady
Maya Peebles	Malcolm X's daughter
Guy Van Swearingen	Induction FBI man
John Ortiz	Madison Square Garden reporter
Brandon Jackson	Actor
Damien Wills	Ken Norton
Wei Yi Lu	Chinese Delegate
Pieter Bourke	Composer

Technical Credits

Gregory Allen Howard

Stephen J. Rivele

Christopher Wilkinson

Eric Roth

Michael Mann

Gregory Allen Howard	Screenwriter
Stephen J. Rivele	Screenwriter
Christopher Wilkinson	Screenwriter
Eric Roth	Screenwriter
Michael Mann	Screenwriter,Director,Producer
Howard Bingham	Executive Producer
Lee Caplin	Executive Producer,Producer
Graham King	Executive Producer
Paul Ardaji	Producer
A. Kitman Ho	Producer
James Lassiter	Producer
Jon Peters	Producer
Victoria Thomas	Casting

Editorial Reviews

Always a technician at the top of his craft, Michael Mann proves it again with his visually alive take on the boxing life of Muhammad Ali, starring Will Smith in the role naysayers doubted he could play, and featuring all manner of virtuoso work inside the ring. While both director and star were generally praised, the film itself failed to appear on year-end ten-best lists, due to what might be described as an impenetrable emotional distance from its subject. Even with Smith silencing his critics through an effective combination of impersonation and nuance, his Ali is an unexplored curiosity, seen mostly through a handful of his most famous fights. Still, the visual achievements, including the precise performances, are undeniable. Mann's handheld camera and off-center compositions again give that palpable p.o.v sense of a life spied upon, teleporting viewers into the detailed world he creates. Mann is king of setting the scene without expository overkill, letting the soundtrack or a telling image speak louder than the dialogue. This approach is particularly noteworthy with the character of Angelo Dundee (Ron Silver), Ali's trainer, a key recurring figure whom the ever-judicious Mann blends into the narrative without having to rely on a big speech or other device to distinguish him. Jamie Foxx, Mario Van Peebles, and Jon Voight are also terrific in supporting roles, particularly Voight's scene-stealer as the appropriately plastic-looking Howard Cosell. Ali may float like the most technically accomplished butterfly out there, but because it fails to sting like a bee, thematically, it can't keep pace with Mann's best work.