"I can't drive you around while you're killing
folks. It ain't my job!"
"Tonight it is."
'Collateral' is a
professionally made and competent thriller.
Unfortunately, despite crisp direction from
Michael Mann and good performances from both Tom
Cruise and Jamie Foxx, the film rarely rises
above that level. That the film achieves every
one of its goals is not much of a compliment
because its goals were set rather low.
'Collateral' wants to provide two hours of
low-boil tension with occasional outbursts of
excitement as we follow a cold-hearted contract
assassin (Cruise) and his unwilling
chauffeur-for-the-night cab driver (Foxx). It
accomplishes that competently.
What is slightly depressing is that the film
starts off with some really great character
development and has us truly getting involved
with the two main leads, but then dwindles into
a routine cat and mouse chase that can be seen
in any one of a dozen other films each year. It
almost feels like the ideas just ran dry half
way through writing the screenplay.
However, there are many things to like here.
Mann is tremendously confident with his camera
work. His angles and shot selections will never
allow you to look at your wristwatch in boredom.
He gives this film a memorable look.
I really liked the initial scene with Jamie Foxx
driving Jada Pinkett-Smith's attorney character
to her office. It takes a while for us to fully
realize the significance of that cab ride, but
it is a fascinating conversation that is well
executed.
I also enjoyed both Cruise and Foxx. Their
interaction early in the crazy Los Angeles
night, as Vincent (Cruise) adapts Max (Foxx)
into his deadly plans, was intriguing to say the
least. Cruise's performance was typically
brilliant, but Foxx surprised me. He really has
some acting chops on him. I look forward to
seeing more from him in the future.
I also appreciated the use of location. Los
Angeles is such a vast city... spread out and
disjointed. It is rare that a film captures the
character of that city the way so many have with
NYC. Mann uses the city very well.
I suppose the film can easily be considered
'good'... perhaps I would not argue too much
with 'very good'. But it stumbles short of
greatness because it doesn't set its sights very
high. I don't think it qualifies as anything
more than mere entertainment or two hours of
thrills and I don't think too many in the
audience will remember much about it a few
months from now.
'Collateral' is a solid thriller with a clever
premise, a visually inventive look, and a couple
of intense performances. It succeeds in what it
attempts to do... I just wanted it to do more. I
wanted to feel something more... for the
situation, the ideas or the characters. Instead,
as I squinted my way into the parking-lot, all I
was wondering was where I had parked.
"You just met him once and you killed him like
that?"
"What... I should only kill people after I get
to know them?"
©
Written by TC Candler
Richard
Propes' Comment
I am not a
member of the Michael Mann fan club. Too often,
I have found his films to exhibit more style
than substance and more interested in
bulletholes than character development.
"Collateral" is an exception to the rule, and I
found this film to be a surprisingly engaging
and entertaining action film thanks largely to
the lead performances of Tom Cruise and Jamie
Foxx.
As
is typical for a Mann film, the cinematography
is dazzling...though, at times I found myself
thinking "what an odd shot." Major kudos go for
the original score and soundtrack accompaniment,
and this film exhibited some of the best shots
of Los Angeles in recent years. It truly was a
beautiful film to watch.
The film ends fairly predictably, and I also
found it somewhat dissatisfying. "Collateral"
seemed willingly to settle for being an
entertaining action film. Michael Mann never
really pushes the envelope here, however, the
film gets elevated anyway due to the excellent
performances by Cruise and Foxx.
Jacob
Hall's Comment
The story of
"Collateral" revolves around Max, a cab driver
with the dream of opening a limo company, but
not the drive. What started like any other night
soon turns to hell, when he picks up an assassin
named Vincent, who has five stops to make and
five people to kill. Told by Mann's highly
stylized cinematography and imagery, and aided
by a brilliant use of music, "Collateral" is
quite a ride. Cruise and Foxx are both
magnificent in their roles, and the Academy
should remember them when the time to nominate
comes. The film is built around wonderfully
written dialogue, but it's two action scenes (a
nightclub shoot-out and an extended
cat-and-mouse climax) rival the best around,
even the bank robbery shoot-out in Mann's own
"Heat."
"Collateral" is breathtaking on so many levels,
that it comes as a bit of a downer when the
final act becomes very predictable. We've seen
this before...but no matter how many times we've
seen it, we haven't seen it quite like Mann
presents it. This is an ordinary action story
told in an unordinary way.
"Collateral" is a must see for any action fan,
or for fans of any genre. It is leagues better
than the summer's other thriller "The Bourne
Supremacy" and it's leagues better than most
thrillers you wil find. Definitely seek this one
out.
