Michael Mann hits another home run

Rating: Null/10 (8 January 2005)

By sheer force of style, Michael Mann is able to turn a basically formulaic story about a hit man riding around L.A. in a taxicab and turn it into something brilliant. I guess it should be no surprise that Collateral is yet another rock-solid motion picture from the director of Ali and The Insider. Ever since 1992's Last of The Mohicans, Mann has been on a run of consistently outstanding movies. He may have peaked with 1995's Heat (his masterpiece, in my opinion), but Collateral will certainly be remembered as another high point in his career.
Collateral tells the story of an assassin named Vincent, played with expert intensity by Tom Cruise, who commandeers a taxi driven by an Everyman good guy named Max (Jamie Foxx). What follows is a long night in Los Angeles while the reluctant Max transports his mysterious passenger around town to his various human targets. All the while, Max is trying to figure out how to get out of the situation or get the attention of the police, without getting himself or anyone else killed. The story is relatively straightforward and while there aren't really any major twists, there are definitely some surprises and unexpected moments that crop up.
Michael Mann is just one of those directors that has a very recognizable, signature look. You can tell within about five minutes that you're watching one of his movies. Collateral in just about any other Hollywood hack-director's hands would probably be forgettable. But Mann's use of music, his influence on production design (always a lot of sleek, art-deco set pieces), editing, cinematography, and just overall good choices as a director all add up to a very entertaining movie experience. In other words, he has that rare ability to make what many would call a "big-budget, Hollywood studio" film but employs methods that usually result in something even the film-school geeks and indie snobs can respect. Dare I say, art?
Anyway, setting aside all of my technical butt kissing, Collateral is just an excellent action-drama that is positively worth checking out if you haven't seen it. The tone and feel of the movie is similar to Heat, so if you liked that movie you'll like this one. The story gets going pretty quick and keeps moving forward without dragging or pausing. While there isn't an enormous amount of action, it's impressive when it happens. The scene in the dance club is one of the most immersive action sequences I've ever seen. You indeed feel like you're there. Pretty much all of the performances are terrific as well. Tom Cruise "bads up" nicely, which is no surprise, it's Tom Cruise after all. And I gained a new respect for Jamie Foxx. I've always thought he was funny and good at what he did, but clearly he has serious acting talent. Mark Ruffalo is also great in a supporting role. Bottom line: Collateral is another gripping, first-class thriller from director Michael Mann.