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Ali (film)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Ali | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical poster |
|
| Directed by | Michael Mann |
| Produced by | Jon Peters James Lassiter Paul Ardaji |
| Written by | Michael Mann Eric Roth Stephen J. Rivele Christopher Wilkinson |
| Starring | Will Smith Jon Voight Jamie Foxx Mario Van Peebles Ron Silver Jeffrey Wright Jada Pinkett Smith |
| Music by | Pieter Bourke Lisa Gerrard |
| Cinematography | Emmanuel Lubezki |
| Editing by | William Goldenberg Lynzee Klingman Stephen E. Rivkin Stuart Waks |
| Distributed by | Sony |
| Release date(s) | December 25, 2001 (United States) |
| Running time | 159 minutes/165 minutes (director's cut) |
| Country |  United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $107,000,000 |
| Gross revenue | $87,713,825 (worldwide) |
| All Movie Guide profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
Ali is an Academy Award-nominated 2001 biographical film which tells the story of boxing icon Muhammad Ali. It stars Will Smith, Jamie Foxx, Jon Voight, Mario Van Peebles, Ron Silver, Jeffrey Wright, Mykelti Williamson, Jada Pinkett Smith, Nona Gaye (in her film debut), Michael Michele, Joe Morton, Giancarlo Esposito and LeVar Burton.
Contents |
The film focuses on the first turbulent decade of the boxer’s professional career, featuring his capture of the heavyweight title from the ill-fated Sonny Liston (played by Michael Bentt), conversion to Islam, criticism of the Vietnam War and banishment from boxing, return to fight Joe Frazier in 1971, and lastly his reclaiming the title from George Foreman in the Rumble in the Jungle fight of 1974. The movie also discusses the great social and political upheaval in the United States following the assassinations of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr. The film also shows the man’s private side: his numerous wives and failed marriages, and his friendships with Malcolm, broadcaster Howard Cosell, and other important figures.
The movie was written by Gregory Allen Howard, Stephen J. Rivele, Christopher Wilkinson, Eric Roth and Michael Mann. The original script by Howard and Rivele was significantly modified by Roth and Mann. Howard was originally commissioned to write an Ali script by producer Jon Peters in 1994, but it was never produced.
Will Smith spent approximately one year learning all aspects of Ali's life. These included boxing training, Islamic studies and dialect training (to help him speak like Ali). Smith has said that his portrayal of Ali is his proudest work to date.
One of the selling points of the film is the realism of the fight scenes. All of the boxers in the film are in fact former or current world heavyweight champions. It was quickly decided that 'Hollywood fighting' - passing the fist (or foot) between the camera and the face to create the illusion of a hit - would not be used in favor of actual boxing. The only limitation placed upon the fighters was for Charles Shufford (who plays George Foreman). He was permitted to hit Will Smith as hard as he could, so long as he did not actually knock the actor out.
Smith had to gain a significant amount of weight to look the part of Muhammad Ali. His current physique is due to the weight gains he had to make for Ali.
In its opening weekend, Ali grossed a total of $14,710,892 in 2,446 theaters. As of December 8, 2006, the film has grossed a total of $87,713,825 worldwide. The film holds a 67 percent "fresh" rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
The film had mixed reviews with the acting being well received by critics in general. Director Spike Lee said during an interview for ESPN that he could not understand how a boring movie could be made about one of the most exciting figures of the 20th century.[citation needed] Lee had been in the running to direct the film but Sony and Will Smith opted to go with Mann instead.
Time Out London gave the film an all-round positive review, stating, "from the virtuoso opening to the climactic re-creation of Ali's 1974 Zaire bout with George Foreman, Mann achieves a thrilling mix of action and analysis, exploiting and transcending both boxing movie and biopic conventions with a master's ease."[1]
On the other hand, Roger Ebert derided the film with two stars, and mentioned, "it lacks much of the flash, fire and humor of Muhammad Ali and is shot more in the tone of a eulogy than a celebration."[2]
After the theatrical version was released on DVD, Mann revisited his film again with a new cut. He took out approximately 20 minutes of footage and put 30 minutes of previously unseen footage back in. The director claimed that the politics of the times are more the focus.
Two anachronisms appear in the film. In one scene, showing Will Smith on his Miami balcony, a Miami Metrorail train can clearly be seen passing in the background. The Metrorail, however, was not built until 1984, after the scene was set. In another scene, in which Will Smith lands at an airstrip in Congo, a 1999 Land Rover Discovery is clearly visible, even though the scene takes place in the 1970s.
| Award | Person | |
| Nominated: | ||
| Best Actor | Will Smith | |
| Best Supporting Actor | Jon Voight | |
- Black Reel Awards
- 'Best Original Soundtrack: (Winner)'
- 'Best Supporting Actor: Jamie Foxx (Winner)'
- Best Supporting Actress: Nona Gaye (Winner)
- Best Film: (Nominated)
- Best Actor: Will Smith (Nominated)
- Best Film Poster: (Nominated)
- Best Song From a Film: R. Kelly-"The World's Greatest" (Nominated)
- Best Screenplay Adapted or Original: Gregory Allen Howard (Nominated)
- Broadcast Film Critics Association
- Best Actor: Will Smith (Nominated)
- Best Picture: (Nominated)
- Best Supporting Actor: Jon Voight (Nominated)
- Chicago Film Critics
- Best Supporting Actor: Jon Voight (Nominated)
- ESPY Awards
- Best Sport Movie
- Image Awards
- Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture: Jamie Foxx (winner)
- Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture: Will Smith (nominated)
- Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture: Jada Pinkett Smith (nominated)
- Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture: Mario Van Peebles (nominated)
- ^ http://www.timeout.com/film/77686.html
- ^ http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20011225/REVIEWS/112250302/1023
- Ali at the Internet Movie Database
- Film screenplay at MovieScriptPlace.com
- Mann interview
- Will Smith interview
- Senses of Cinema review
- Entertainment Weekly Mann interview
- Ali movie trailer
- "Michael Mann and Will Smith in the Ring With Ali" New York Times article
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Categories: All articles with unsourced statements | Articles with unsourced statements since February 2007 | 2001 films | American films | Biographical films | Boxing films | English-language films | Films directed by Michael Mann | Films shot in Super 35 | Muhammad Ali | Sports films based on actual events