Ali

Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. 

Rumble young man, rumble.

This immortal battle cry, so closely associated with its author, the boxing legend Muhammad Ali, not only evokes images of his boxing style, but also provides an apt description of his biographical film. The 2001 movie, Ali, dances around Ali's life, much like the lightening quick Ali would move in the ring. But when the critical moment arrives, both the film and the boxer know when to strike. 

Michael Mann's vision of Ali's life stays mainly within the confines of the most public part of his life. It opens in 1964 just before Ali won the heavyweight title for the first time from Sonny Liston. It then covers his relationship with the Nation of Islam and Malcolm X, his refusal to be drafted, and his eventual return to boxing, including Ali-Frazier 1 and ending with the Rumble in the Jungle against George Foreman in 1974. The boxing historians who are searching for an encyclopedic recounting of Ali's career will be sorely disappointed here, as many of Ali's fights are barely even mentioned. Ali's second two bouts with Frazier, all three fights with Ken Norton, and the Cleveland Williams fight are all passed over. At two hours and forty minutes, the film could barely afford to cover what it did.

Mann is well known for his visual style of filmmaking. His tendency to elongate shots and draw out isolated images is on full display here. Despite several beautiful moments, there are times when Ali starts to drag. Mann does handle the boxing scenes well however. They are not only realistic, which is a rarity for boxing movies (I'm looking at you Rocky), but they capture Ali's style and personality in the ring as well. One of the best scenes in the movie is the weigh-in for the first Sonny Liston fight because it showcases one of Ali's most potent weapons. Psychological warfare. 

Mann also spends a great deal of time documenting Ali's relationships with those around him. Malcolm X (a friend and mentor), Drew "Bundini" Brown (his motivator), Angelo Dundee (his manager), the sportscaster Howard Cosell, and three of his four wives all receive ample screen time to showcase all the interesting people that flocked to Ali like moths to a flame. And make no mistake, in a film filled with luminaries, Muhammad Ali is the brightest of all.

The saving grace of this film is the acting. Will Smith plays Ali and has his mannerisms down to a science. The story goes that Smith refused to play the role until Ali called him and asked him to personally. What resulted was a wonderful, Oscar nominated performance really gets to the heart of this larger than life figure. Jamie Foxx as Bundini, Mario van Peebles as Malcolm X, and Jon Voight, who also received an Oscar nom, as Howard Cosell are excellent as well. Jada Pinkett Smith, Will Smith's real life wife, also deserves mention for her role as of Ali's wives. 

Ali is far from perfect, but it creates a insightful look at one of the most fascinating lives of the 20th century. The narrative struggles a bit, as Mann tries to construct a beginning, middle, and end from the events in Muhammad Ali's life, but the subject material and the acting make this more than worthwhile.

22/30