Michael Mann’s favourite movie of 2024
Michael Mann built a cult following through his 1995 film Heat, which follows a master criminal called Neil McCauley who attempts one more heist before he retires, finding his plans thwarted by a detective called Vincent Hanna, who is intent on catching him.
From there, the director went on to create Collateral and, more recently, Ferrari, starring Adam Driver and Penelope Cruz. Despite a sporadic career in terms of release timelines, Michael Mann has remained a significant voice in the industry. His presence is bolstered by his impassioned defence of recent films he admires and his support for the work of other directors, including his recent revelation of a surprising favourite film of 2024.
Mann first worked with William Goldenberg on Heat, with the editor working in a junior position alongside the main editors Dov Hoenig and Tom Rolf, with the director praising his intelligence and ability to understand the emotional undercurrent of each moment and find the heart of the scene. The editor went on to win an Academy Award for ‘Best Editing’ with Argo in 2012, with nominations for his work on The Imitation Game, The Insider and Zero Dark Thirty.
But in a surprising turn of events, the editor turned his talents towards production work and recently helmed his directorial debut film Unstoppable, starring Jharrel Jerome and Jennifer Lopez. The film follows Anthony Robles, the true story of a wrestler who was born with one leg and defied the odds by winning a national championship in 2011.
Despite being a slightly more underground film, Mann has listed Unstoppable as his favourite film of 2024, saying, “What’s strikingly different and original in ‘Unstoppable’ is the authority of so many moments of true life accumulating throughout to create a quiet monumentality. It’s that which generates our unique empathy with the human struggles, desires and Anthony’s search for his place in this world. Through simplicity and honed nuance, the edges of these real lives soar into sharp focus. It’s human experience unfolding captivatingly in front of us”.
The movie first premiered at the Toronto Film Festival this year, with many people praising Jerome for his performance in a physically demanding and vulnerable role, with Lopez shining as Judy. The story was first discussed as a potential adaptation in 2014, with producers David Crockett and Andy Fraser acquiring the rights to develop his autobiography titled Unstoppable: From Underdog To Undefeated: How I Became A Champion. However, the rights to the film were acquired by 101 Studios in 2019, with Dwayne Johnson and Dany Garcia being cast in the lead roles, with Goldenberg being announced as the director. However, this then went on to change, with Lopez and Jerome finally being confirmed as the leads.
While the film won’t be released internationally until early 2025, many viewers are eager to see Jerome take on the character, who has proven himself as an unbelievably dedicated and magnetic performer, to which it is unsurprising as to why Mann was drawn towards the project.
But ultimately, Mann’s previous collaboration with Goldenberg has made him a strong admirer of his work, saying, “He builds in imagination a scene’s emotional gestalt before he cuts. And, now, it’s before he shoots. That’s evident in the quiet majesty of ‘Unstoppable’. His direction brings lives into contact with us genuinely and movingly. The story of this extraordinary athlete stays with you long after the end of “Unstoppable.” It’s a life you will not forget. It’s real human experience unfolding in front of you”.
