For some reason I didn't follow Miami Vice's initial release as closely as I wanted to, and then it sort of disappeared from my mind. But when I came across an Olivier Assayas interview in which he mentioned that he really liked the film despite some unevenness, I made a beeline to the nearest theatre in which it was still playing (one about 45 kilometers away). And I'm certainly glad that I did, especially for Mann's HD work. Though, like I stated in my post, I agree that it can't substitute for a stronger narrative base.

I'm not sure if you've seen Assayas' demonlover, but the characters in that film are also quite "rootless," and they've more or less become slaves to their demonic professions. So I can see why Assayas would appreciate Vice, though his film is certainly a much superior work because it digs deeper and comments on the state of our society at large.