Ali (2001)

User Rating:

6.5/10   

Director:

Michael Mann

Writers (WGA):

Gregory Allen Howard (story)
Stephen J. Rivele (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

25 December 2001 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Sport

Tagline:

Forget What You Think You Know

Plot:

A biography of sports legend, Muhammad Ali, from his early days to his days in the ring.

Plot Keywords:

Boxer | Muhammad Ali | Friendship | Victory | Malcolm X

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 7 wins & 22 nominations

Cast

Will Smith	...	Cassius Clay / Cassius X / Muhammad Ali
Jamie Foxx	...	Drew 'Bundini' Brown
Jon Voight	...	Howard Cosell
Mario Van Peebles	...	Malcolm X
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.

MPAA:

Rated R for some language and brief violence. (also director's cut)

Runtime:

157 min | USA:165 min (director's cut)

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Finland:K-11 | Malaysia:18SG (uncut version) | Malaysia:U (re-rating) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:14A (Manitoba) (director's cut) | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) (original rating) | Brazil:Livre | Singapore:PG (cut) | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | France:U | Germany:12 | Netherlands:12 | Norway:15 | Peru:14 | Philippines:PG-13 | South Korea:15 | Spain:13 | UK:15 | USA:R (certificate #37745) | Iceland:12

Filming Locations:

Accra, Ghana

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

While this film was in development through the 90s, Oliver Stone at one point was commissioned at the project's director. Stone's very first choice for the role of Muhammad Ali was Denzel Washington. However, when Washington signed on to another boxer biopic, The Hurricane (1999), Stone opted to instead make Any Given Sunday (1999).

Goofs:

Factual errors: The argument Ali and his wife Sonji have over Ali's seeing Veronica Porche did not happen before the Ali/Foreman fight, but instead happened before the 3rd Ali/Frazier fight, "The Thrilla in in Manila", in 1975.

Quotes:

Drew 'Bundini' Brown: God don't love us! We be.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Shark Tale (2004)

Soundtrack:

Round 8 Strings

Poetry! Rewrites the book on filmic storytelling

A certain kind of critical response kept me away from this film when it was in theatrical release, and I should have known better! Michael Mann is one of the most original storytellers working in film today, and his sensibility is absolutely in sync with his subject here. Muhammad Ali always did it his way, and from the brilliant opening sequence (which breaks all kinds of rules of time and space) to the last scene, that's what Mann does, and with great style, as ever. Of course if an audience demands a literal drama, they might not catch the poetry Mann and his team create with sound and picture. Will Smith is outstanding as Ali, vocally and visually, Jon Voight is a unbelievably convincing Howard Cosell, and Mario Van Peebles is subtle and moving as Malcom X.