Collateral Movie
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Storyline
TAGLINES
It started like any other night.
Max has lived a mundane life as a cab driver for twelve years. The faces have come and gone from his rear-view mirror: people and places he's long since forgotten—until tonight. Vincent is a contract killer. When an off-shore narco-trafficking cartel learns that they're about to be indicted by a federal grand jury, they mount an operation to identify and kill the key witness, and the last stage is tonight. It is on this very night that Vincent has arrived—and five bodies are supposed to fall. Circumstances cause Vincent to hijack Max' taxicab, and Max becomes collateral—an expendable person who's in the wrong place at the wrong time. Through the night, Vincent forces Max to drive him to each assigned destination. And as the L.A.P.D. and F.B.I. race to intercept them, Max and Vincent's survival become dependent on each other, in ways neither would have imagined.
| Tom Cruise | Vincent |
| Jamie Foxx | Max |
| Jada Pinkett Smith | Annie |
| Mark Ruffalo | Fanning |
| Peter Berg | Richard Weidner |
| Bruce McGill | Pedrosa |
| Irma P. Hall | Ida |
| Barry Shabaka Henley | Daniel |
| Richard T. Jones | Traffic Cop #1 |
| Klea Scott | Fed #1 |
| Bodhi Elfman | Young Professional Man |
| Debi Mazar | Young Professional Woman |
| Javier Bardem | Felix |
| Emilio Rivera | Paco |
| Jamie McBride | Traffic Cop #2 |
| Michael Mann |
7.70 out of 10 (52558 votes)
Visitor Reviews
A first-rate thriller all the way.
posted on 24 Aug 2009This film has opened up new paths for many. The two biggest paths opened up are those for lead actors Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx, who both give outstanding performances and should get similar roles in the future. AS for the film itself, this is suspense at its finest art form. It opens up simple, with very little action and lots of close-ups to get familiar with the surroundings. Then, the characters meet. Vincent (Cruise), is a killer hired to make five stops in one night, so he hires Max (Foxx), a cab driver to chauffeur him around Los Angeles until 6 am. You would think that nothing too outrageous will happen, but eventually Max finds out Vincent's line of work and the police are on their trail as well.This is a terrific film, filled with exceptional performances, excellent writing, and marvelous directing by Michael Mann that holds us in suspense just long enough to finish the story, but not too long that we begin to not care. All elements come together to make this a first-rate thriller in every way. The ending is satisfying and the scenes leading up to it are heart-pounding. See this film if only for the mesmerizing performance by Tom Cruise. Cold, ruthless, and completely lost in his work, this performance is one of the very best in modern movies. For that matter, this whole film is one of the best of the decade.
great movie with late night feeling
posted on 14 Aug 2009I saw this movie during the day. With the high def video feel, it hadthe feeling you get when you are in a foreign land, can't sleep, andend up watching the hotel tv into the wee hours. The grittiness ofthe video contrasted nicely with the sleek LA imagery, though Ican't remember banal LA ever looking like this. NYC, Tokyo, yes.but not LA. Just shows you what skillfull cinematography will do. Idon't know why this movie has a slow following, it really took me bysurprise. Suspend credibility, it has plot holes but thecoincidences, the connection with different people in differentplaces coming together and only the audience aware of thecoincidence was a rewarding sensation we often don't get frommovies. Extremely well done movie and I highly recommend yousee it. An added bonus was the trailer was nothing like the movie.Its awful when the preview is a mini movie, why watch when youknow the story already? The rest are spoilers. I thought Cruiseplayed well. He flipped between charm, introspection, and coldefficiency so well that you get an idea what a pure psychotic thinkslike. I believed he had every intention of killing Max in the end,never mind his charm.
HEAT (comparing notes)
posted on 08 Aug 2009In 1994 PULP FICTION made viewers root for and laugh with the bad guys, characters Tarantino had already stylized. In the same year, HEAT cast off the jokes and its "bad guys" turned out to be real people who maybe weren't so bad after all. HEAT introduced audiences to the professional criminal in a way that unconventionally rendered the character with some regard. When De Niro took his last breaths in HEAT's final frames, we actually felt a tinge of loss.HEAT-lovers such as myself anticipated COLLATERAL not only as `the new Mann film,' but as an elaboration of HEAT's signature character – which could only be done with that film's architect.COLLATERAL is the inevitable follow-up to HEAT, its vehicle being the expertly-collected professional criminal. Anyone who has seen both films will realize from the opening images in COLLATERAL that Cruise's character is a direct carry-over from HEAT.The important thing for any fan of the director to realize is that since Mann did not write or produce it (enough to be credited, anyway) this is not truly "A Michael Mann Film." While it likely would have been better had it been "A Michael Mann Film", COLLATERAL is still a great picture. Stuart Beattie's screenplay passes the test; the music, though somewhat over-used, is well-chosen. Unfortunately, the casting for the lead roles backfired.Cruise and Foxx are top-notch, but their personas as actors may be undermining the intended character depictions. Watch COLLATERAL in theatre and you'll understand.Cruise has always been a good guy and Foxx has always been a funnyman. When general audiences are watching COLLATERAL, they are seeing a good guy play a bad guy and a funnyman play a cab driver.Hence people laughing at Foxx's lines - even if they're weren't supposed to be funny. And the TRAINING DAY-esque appeal of the good guy playing the bad guy.HEAT's initial selling point was the onscreen pairing of De Niro and Pacino. But regardless of their marketing power, both actors couldn't have been better for the roles. What resulted were two of the most convincing characters in film.In HEAT, we're watching Neil McCauley and Vincent Hanna. In COLLATERAL, we're watching Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx.
Flawed but memorable
posted on 08 Aug 2009Despite the overall high rating, a lot of people here have relegated this movie to the killing floor. I must admit that I agree with most of their points. However, I came out on the other side of the equation.Let's start with the bad points. The film's integrity is just plain killed by sheer disbelief and unfortunately, it takes "Collateral" out of the great movie category. Early on, we have Jada Pinkett's attorney hitting on the cab driver, which is absolutely silly, though the connection is tied together later. The premise of Cruise (doing hits of another kind) riding around in a cab with a cab driver hostage could have been great, but it's carried out in such an over-the-top manner that it strains the limits of credulity. In general, it's the film's attempt to integrate subtle character development with the over-the-top body count that weakens the overall structure and causes it to devolve at times into total dumbness.But, these points aside, let's talk about the good aspects of the film. This is an interesting take on the old film noir style using indirect angle shots, shadows, and blurred lighting to create an effect similar to "Night and the City" by Jules Dassin. The soundtrack is a brilliant melange of grooves. Tom Cruise's performance is quite good, as is Javier Bardem in a brief spot. The interplay between Cruise and Foxx is arresting and accelerates to a compelling conclusion.To me, the question is ultimately - "how did it play?" I found myself thinking about the movie for some time after its conclusion, and it's that indelible impression that's worth a 7/10.
Cruise control
posted on 04 Aug 2009I always believed the best Michael Mann thriller was 'Heat' but Collateral gave it a run for its money. Collateral is a terrific film. The all-star cast of Heat may have been absent but it's 'on the edge of your seat' stuff. Tom Cruise plays a contract killer called Vincent that has been assigned five hits in one night. Unknown to an LA cabby called Max (Jamie Foxx) he will soon realise of Vincent's intentions and be forced to drive him around the city whilst Vincent finishes the job. Things don't run too smoothly for Vincent as Max decides to disrupt the work of the smooth talking assassin as much as possible. Collateral is filmed in the beautiful backdrop of late night Los Angeles and the slow methodical style of Mann really eases you into the film. Impressive camera work captures the landscape of the city with dark skies illuminated by the natural glow of the streets and buildings below.The film relies on the dialogue between Cruise and Foxx as most of it takes place between the two characters in the cab. As you're watching the film Vincent and Max debate the moral issues of the killing of other human beings and deep soul searching takes place. Michael Mann cleverly creates the argument to support Vincent's view of his work and how human life is really insignificant. At certain points you are drawn into actually almost agreeing with Vincent and his outlook on life. As the film goes on and the two characters trade verbal blows you almost get the sense that the pair really need each other to review their current paths in life. Max attacks Vincent's state of mind and views on taking lives and Vincent retaliates by questioning Max and his so called dream of running a limousine company. My favourite scenes in the film were Max having to meet up with Felix pretending to be Vincent and the shoot-out in the club 'Fever'. Collateral is supported by a superb soundtrack and fits the mood of the film perfectly. As the film reaches its thrilling finale Max and Vincent will face off against each other but only one man will be left standing.Collateral is an adrenalin pumping, action packed couple of hours that won't leave you disappointed. 'Think anybody will notice?'
Get in the car and go.
posted on 02 Aug 2009Ahh, how refreshing. A movie I walked out of feeling CONTENT about spending six bucks, rather than disappointed, confused, sleepy, or just plain stunned that studios would spend so much money on garbage. No, no, my friends- this movie was great. When I first took in the previews, I figured I would pass on this one. Then, this morning I had a change of heart and decided to give it a chance. I'm glad I did, because Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx stunned me with their acting chops. Cruise, portraying Vincent, the "bad guy", versus Foxx, an average cab driver, turned out to be an exciting match, full of intense action, brutal fight scenes and subtle comedy. Not to be missed. 9.5/10
Thriller and action with two top notch actors :Cruise and Foxx
posted on 02 Aug 2009The movie focuses to Max(Jamie Foxx)a cab driver from Los Angeles.He makes his rounds during the night with numerous characters(Debi Mazar,Jada Pinkett Smith)into the car talking with them.He dreams with his own Limousinas company though to his ill mummy(Imma P.Hall)says her that he is proprietary.Vincent(Tom Cruise) is a cruel killer with an engaging contract who offers an great sum of money to drive him several locations around L.A. Max realizes which he is a murderer who has been contracted to kill various people.Events go wrong and Max becomes in hostage and he must find a way to rescue the last objective.Meanwhile a Police Inspectors(Mark Ruffalo,Peter Berg) are tracking down from the killer.The picture packs action,violence,drama,shootout with exciting scenes.Casting is frankly excellent,the main protagonists make a first class performance.Jamie Foxx(recently his Oscar by ¨Ray¨)as hapless cab man is awesome similarly to Tom Cruise as the relentless murderer,besides Jada Pinkett(Will Smith's wife) as obstinate prosecutor is magnificent. The film contains stimulating action set pieces as the impressive gunplay developed in a tumultuous discotheque or the breathtaking final pursuit in the building and the train. Atmospheric and spectacular music by the master James Newton Howard.Colorful cinematography -although in the main night- is by two nice cameramen,Dion Beebe and Paul Cameron.The motion picture is well directed by the successful director Michael Mann.The film will like to Tom Cruise devotees and action films enthusiastic.Rating :Better than average.Well worth watching.
Could have been great
posted on 29 Jul 2009I was really pumped to see this movie. I am quite a big Cruise fan, and i think his recent movies have been really expanding his acting abilities.
The movie started out quite solid with Foxx's character build up with his customers. But then, Jada Pinkett Smith gets out of the car and Cruise gets in and...oh my god, i just figured out the ending. I was hoping the entire movie that no, it wouldn't be this cliche. I mean, the movie was going strong for a solid hour or so. Amazing character development, and it was very stylisticly directed. Tom Cruise even manages to leave me with an open mouth over how much of a bad ass he is in the nightclub scene.**SPOILERS** Just when i was thinking the movie would opt out of Jamie Foxx finding out that Tom Cruise's last hit was (what??) Jada Pinket Smith, the same woman Foxx got to know in the first scene, it didn't. From there it becomes a poorly exicuted cat and mouse chase from building to train which is nothing i haven't seen a million times before.**END SPOILERS**It's really a shame, because the rest of the movie was quite good. 6/10
Seeing Collateral as a religious allegory gives it weight.
posted on 27 Jul 2009Collateral is definitely a deliciously stylish and paced piece of cinema entertainment. In my view, that it is also a neatly realized religious allegory adds purpose and meaning to the developments experienced by Max Durocher, the central character. I hope My descriptions don't spoil any suspense elements here.Popular film history is full of this sort of religious subtext thing, wonderful examples including "The Year of Living Dangerously" and "Deliverance" come immediately to mind as rich enhancements of the filmgoing experience. The Spielberg film "Dual" is a particularly apt example in this case.In the film "Collateral" we are not presented with a thinly masked retelling of a gospel or biblical tale but slowly absorb a a clever,loose, literally ambiguous development of very common religious themes hard to deny by intention when viewed from just a bit of distance.Max the cab driver takes great care to clean his car assiduously when beginning his shift. This ablution-like exercise implies a purity in his nature, though his life is far from perfect.Vincent, the assassin who enters his life is a somewhat inscrutable, all powerful presence throughout his encounter with Max and constantly reminds the cab driver of his failure to fulfill his dreams. Vincent would appear to represent God for the most part in this relationship and his startling ability to accomplish the unexpected and seemingly impossible lends this view much weight. There is a peculiar and very tense moment in the film when Max Durocher must become Vincent and the echo of the oneship of Christ and God in Western theology is clearly evoked in this part of the film.One might suppose Vincents (unexpectedly) whitish hair is a halo of sorts or a badge of symbolic purity. We cant forget that Vincent says (truthfully) "I saved you" to Max and the certain fact that Max awakens resources within himself that can never be erased as a result of his encounter with Cruise's Vincent.I don't suggest that this allegorical structure is a proselytising exercise but is rather a way to add weight to the obvious progress out of a life adrift which Max Durocher and so many other modern people share. This film uses very old spiritual themes to add purpose and meaning to a modern dilemma in one life and by implication to show a value for all such lives. If the meaning of Vincent is God one moment and implies something Christlike by the location of his injuries and ultimate destiny in another I'm untroubled by such ambiguities. In modern storytelling the rules float in a poetic fashion but The general progress of this story is quite clear in the allegorical context.There are plenty of other demonstrations of allegorical parallelism in "Collateral" not least of which is the title. (Christs death is said to be "Collateral" for mans sins.) Who is Christ, who is man, who is God in this film? It all works out in a rough but compelling logic in a clever dance of action. The allegorical structure makes "Collateral" more than just an improbable wild night's adventure for a randomly chosen fellow. It is a movie with a reason for being and a thoughtfully constructed gift of value and fun for the movie goer. That is saying a lot and I liked it a lot.
Michael Mann is the Man!! (no pun intended)
posted on 27 Jul 2009Vincent arrives in LAX and exchanges briefcases with a stranger.Max picks up a multi-tasking lawyer in his cab and haggles about the fastest way to her office. Then said lawyer gets out, and Vincent enters the cab offering Max $600 to stick with him for the night: He has five stops to make. So when a body lands on the windshield of Max's cab, he finds himself in a battle of wills, for his life, with Vincent, the charming, psychopathic contract killer. So the two men travel into the wee hours of the Los Angeles morning, the body count keeps rising, they learn each others secrets, develop a mutual respect for each other, and become frenemies. What a great movie!!Cruise brings a remarkably endearing and revolting reality to the screen in his portrayal of Vincent, and Jamie Foxx (though not even on my list of good actors) manages to hold his own beside the powerhouse that is Cruise. Kudos to Michael Mann (and David Mamet) for cinematography, dialogue and not succumbing to the urge to make the two protagonists into friends by the end of the picture. See this movie. You won't be disappointed.
a movie surely above the average
posted on 23 Jul 2009The great Michael Mann (Heat, the Insider) directed this movie with two protagonists caged in Los Angeles, or better still where the protagonist is LA itself. The flick, ahead of starring Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx, it's about Los Angeles night. It starts at sunset and ends at dawn, telling about a bored cab driver named Max who picks up a ruthless killer (Vincent); apart from tension, fear and shootings what impresses the most is how the author grabs, focuses and holds the viewer attention on this huge city, where everyone seems to live alone and where even begging for help might be very dangerous. Along with this impending presence that puts aside the confrontation between good and evil, the film deserves a positive rating for the positive Cruise and Foxx performances and for some marvelous scenes (like the disco shooting).
Definitely in my Top 10 best of this year...
posted on 23 Jul 2009It's not surprising that I would love a Michael Mann movie. Few directors know how to set a mood better than he. His characters are intelligent and introspective, and the plots, which appear formulaic from a distance, have a depth and quality that few filmmakers are able to achieve. I was immersed in the nighttime aspects of this film. It's something about how the colors and the rough camera work and editing evoke the feelings that I have while being out late in the city or even in some of my darker dreams. Michael Mann has always been able to create that mood- from all the way back in his Miami Vice days and through the incredible Heat and The Insider, he has only gotten better at his craft. There were parts of this movie- particularly the nightclub scene as well as the final scene that had my stomach in knots and as the cliché goes, I was on the edge of my seat. Vincent is some of Tom Cruise's best work ever, and it is here where I found Cruise has a definite ability in playing dark characters. There is something menacing in his eyes, and the gray hair and suit seem to emphasize this almost exhausted and relentless drive to get the job done, even if it is killing people. He is an efficient sociopath who has a quiet, subtle charm and I found myself very much wanting to learn more about him- but this is part of the character's appeal. If more had been revealed, I feel this would have made him boring. There are certain villains out there who have this uncanny knack for bringing us over to the "dark side" and make us almost root for them. Sort of like Hannibal Lecter.Only Vincent lacks the suave and finesse- I don't think this man has ever had a friend in his life.Jamie Foxx is really coming into his own as a serious actor, and while I still have a hard time removing my mind from his old LaWanda skits on In Living Color, I know that Foxx is an incredible talent. I admired and felt for his character, and in particular in the club with Felix, I really started to come to respect him.I went into the theater, expecting to see something that one would typically see in the mediocre to awful August/September offerings, and I came away completely awed, and happy to see so many people (Cruise, Foxx and Mann) at the top of their craft. Cruise is Oscar-worthy here and I hope he finally gets the gold statue he deserves. And I can't forget Mark Ruffalo, who seems to be playing characters lightyears apart from one another these days and who delivers wonderfully here.This is the type of movie I could watch over and over again.
Tom Cruise + Michael Mann= GREAT FILM! One of 2004's best!
posted on 21 Jul 2009I entered the theater having huge expectations with Collateral. Not only does it have superstar Tom Cruise (M:I-2, Last Samurai, Minority Report) but it also has director Michael Mann (one of the BEST directors around) whose credits included Heat and Ali.And after spending over two hours watching, I must say that Collateral is one great movie!Tom Cruise is hit-man Vincent. Already very experienced in his underworld duties, Vincent is the hit-man who really knows what to do, what to anticipate and motivate people. Heck, Vincent even has humanity him especially when he actually helped Max (Jamie Fox) out of trouble.True to hit-man fashion, Cruise delivered GREAT moves with his fists, kicks and guns. Having seen him use guns in John Woo's M:I-2, Cruise played with the guns very differently and realistically in this movie. Performance wise, Vincent is greatly played by Cruise with such elements of being a hit-man and a human being. I wish Cruise good luck to winning his first ever acting Oscar.Jamie Fox plays Max, the taxi driver who works hard for his living. His bad luck started when he met Vincent and everything changed for the worst. Max is very human in the sense that he gets torn apart between aiding Vincent, interacting with his mom and even helping a young woman he met only hours ago. Jamie Fox deserves big credit for his role and I can't think of anyone else playing Max effectively.Director Michael Mann is back to what he does best with the police/criminal/assassin genre of films. Like Heat and Manhunter, the lead characters are actually very lonely guys (Vincent Hanna and Neal M anyone?), there's also a huge shootout (Collateral's shootout is shorter but solid enough compared to Heat's bank heist), guns galore, people getting killed, lots of talk, etc. Not only did Mann do what he does best, his film has very good editing, lively camera angles, and best of all he delivered the plot and characters to life. Thanks to Mann, Collateral is very convincing and such a story can actually happen in real life.Conclusion: Collateral is one of 2004's BEST FILMS! Whether you go for Cruise, Mann, Fox, action, drama, suspense and all others kind of stuff, Collateral has something to entertain and inform any kind of moviegoer.This movie is a MUST SEE! I rate it a 9 out of 10!Now for the future of Collateral: DVD! Could hardly wait!
Michael Mann = Life Insurance
posted on 19 Jul 2009A hit man (Tom Cruise) kidnaps a taxi driver (Jamie Foxx) to use him as his personal chauffeur during several of his "jobs". Jamie Foxx's character will be torn between empathy (the killer is not a bad guy) and rejection (but hey, the boy is quite an unmerciful butcher), and eventually he'll have to make a decision.Nice mainstream action cinema made but one of the more classy specialist on this kind of stuff, Mr. Michael Mann (Heat, The Insider). A nice script, good tension, and Tom cruise making a good job, which is quite a surprise (he seems to give his best only when playing amoral characters -maybe he identifies more with'em-).Michael Mann knows exactly what the audience wants, but that doesn't mean he has to make second rate products. Not at all. When it's tome to film a big project with big money, and some stars, Michael is the "mann". Not everything is perfect in "Collateral" though... The character of the girl (Jada Pinckett) is pretty diffuse and forced. One of the best films of the year as far as the commercial movies is concerned.*My rate: 7.5/10
1/2 character drama + 1/2 action film = Engaging but messy film
posted on 11 Jul 2009"Collateral" isn't a bad film by any means, but it's a somewhat unfocused, messy film and that holds back a terribly interesting concept and some very good acting, keeping the film only a decent one. The opening of the film is very slow and drawn out, showing us that our hero (and make no mistake about it, Foxx is the star and hero) is a clean freak cab driver and something of a dreamer. However, despite the character development involved, this is perhaps the worst part of the film because it has little to do with the coming plot and it's extremely slow--several passages like this will follow, interrupting an interesting film that has some thrilling action bits as well as one fascinating character (Vincent, the contract killer, played by Tom Cruise) and a wonderful character arc for its protagonist as he, despite his fear of the other man, is affected positively by him.The acting, needless to say, is excellent. Jamie Foxx has quickly become one of the most respected young actors in Hollywood and this film shows why, and it also reminds us of the talent Tom Cruise has--able to be cunning, frightening, professional, and above all charismatic. Many have forgotten that Cruise's first film role was an evil, crazed young military student in "Taps," but here we can again see how his unmatched charisma can be so effective in a "bad guy" role. To get back to Foxx, he has a difficult, varying role and manages to play every emotion from absolute fear to rage to annoyance perfectly.Michael Mann's direction is strong, always keeping the focus where it needs to be--on the wonderful characters being acted so well--and keeps the entire film attractive. He also does a wonderful job of not going out of his way to draw our attention to small details that we do need to notice but still allowing us to see them. It's something like watching a stage play in that it's up to the viewer to pay attention and see these effects, which I always enjoy and which gives the film rewatchability (I think I may just have invented that word, but hopeful everyone can discern its intended meaning) on par with just about any film.Overall, "Collateral" is a somewhat unfocused film that could have been absolutely fascinating and despite the mess still contains excellent acting and wonderful direction. It's certainly worth a watch but it's still a flawed screenplay that needed some quick reworking to make it work and let's face it--a bad screenplay can't make a good film.
Stylish but a thin plot
posted on 11 Jul 2009This movie has its strengths on the technical side. As you could expect it from a picture directed by Michael Mann (Miami Vice, Heat, Ali). This movie benefits of it's high production level.Tom Cruise an Jamie Foxx, as the main actors act solid, but not excellent. Though it is still fun to watch, because they are cast out of their role cliché.The plot contains some annoying holes and inconsistencies - how they are regrettably typical for an action movie. But this is the major downfall for me. And I found the climax way too predictable and constructed.- 6,5/10 -
Best Tom Cruise movie since Top Gun
posted on 09 Jul 2009I must say that it is quite a change to see Tom as the bad guy. It fits him quite well though. He is intelligent and a cold hearted killer, with an almost spine-chilling humor. I could swear, his character has a degree in psycology.James Foxworthy is a great actor in this film, which wasn't a surprise. He gives the movie comic relief as he normally does. He has a serious side to him as well. He learns a lot in one night filled with murder, cops, fear and of course, a woman. The story is okay and didn't leave me bored even though most of the movie revolved around a cab. Don't get me wrong, this movie is no "Phonebooth," thank God. This is an all around great movie filled with suspense, action and comedy. You all should see this movie and I must say, Tom Cruise doesn't look that bad with gray hair.
Just brilliant.
posted on 09 Jul 2009I'm not a big fan of Tom Cruise, so I didn't start watching with high hopes. I don't think I've ever been more wrong in my life.Story: Jamie Foxx plays Max, a longtime running cab driver, who picks up Vincent, played by Tom Cruise, who says he needs to make a few stops within the night, and if it's all done by a certain time, Max earns a considerable amount of money. Shortly after the first stop, it's revealed that Vincent is a contract killer, and all the stops are his next victims. As this review is spoiler free, I won't go into further detail, but all I can say is that this story is extremely well written.Characters: Tom Cruise is very convincing as an assassin, and he and Foxx's character have a strange sort of chemistry that just works out well. The supporting characters do their parts well too.Screenplay: The cab scenes are relaxing in a strange sort of way. The camera wobbles while they're in it, and though that may sound crude, it feels like you're in the cab with them. The action scenes are shot extremely well too.Overall: This film is just awesome for anyone looking for a suspense film with a hint of action that has a good plot. Even if you're not a fan of Jamie Foxx or Tom Cruise, this film will make you forget that. And since you can pick up the DVD brand new for about 7 bucks today, I'd definitely check it out sometime. 9.5/10
One of the best
posted on 05 Jul 2009This movie is incredible. Even with Tom Cruise. One of the coolest things about the film is the cinematography. Michael Mann's choice of camera use is one thing that stands out in the movie. The colors make the scenes nice to look at.Another thing is Foxx's acting. He's really good at they way he keeps his character quiet and reserved, but during his meeting with Felix, he shows a different side of himself. The first time I saw it, I honestly wasn't impressed. But the second time I watched it, months later, I payed more attention and realized that I was seeing something incredible.I would recommend it to anybody.
unremarkable thriller
posted on 24 Aug 2009Michael Mann's Collateral has a great deal of critical acclaim and hype behind it, so I was looking forward to watching it. But sadly, I was disappointed to find a very unremarkable thriller. The story really is as straightforward as you've heard: taxi driver meets hit-man, hit-man has five stops to make, and needs taxi driver to bring him to all five hit locations. The plot, I think, is the main reason why it was so hard for this film to work- it's just too linear. There are very few or no ways of pulling a plot twist, or changing the course of the plot. It was obvious Vincent would not be arrested with three hits to go etc. Compared to the best thrillers of the last ten years, Collateral appears even more average. It is not as violent as Reservoir Dogs, as complex as The Usual Suspects or as thought provoking as Fight Club. There is still some things to enjoy, however: the brilliant scene where Vincent confronts the muggers, and the nightclub shootout is good too. Foxx is fantastic as the cab driver Max and thoroughly deserved his Oscar nomination, while Cruise is also cold-hearted yet charismatic. If you like thrillers, give this a look, but don't expect anything too heavyweight.