Stylish Action Built on Character and Mann's Bravura

Rating: 7/10 (5 March 2006)

For the most part, this is one sharp crime thriller that doubles as a character study of two lonely men. If that premise does not appeal to you, then you probably can't appreciate director Michael Mann's unique film-making style, which is an intoxicating mix of nocturnal urban sleekness and characters that peel off layers of their psyche to drive the plot. This is not a standard action film, not by a long shot, as it is really about the relationship between a hit man named Vincent and a cab driver named Max, thrown together by chance and becoming more inextricably connected as the convoluted story unfolds. Vincent is as mono-maniacally cold-blooded as one can expect in this type of film, but Stuart Beattie's script reveals a well-educated, rather erudite man who may have been triggered by an abusive childhood to follow this line of work. In salt-and-pepper hair and without his trademark smile, Tom Cruise is relatively good as Vincent, though as with most of his films, there is an air of posturing about his performance that negates the malice of his character. At the same time, when it comes to his character's profession, he is convincing as an expert at his craft, who has mastered a clear method of killing that absolves him of blame and conscience.
The focal point of this 2004 film, however, is Max, who represents the story's moral conscience. He is also a complex figure, a man who has deluded himself with dreams of running his own limousine service. Max makes it sound convincing at first, but then his credibility starts to unravel under Vincent's astute microscope and as the immediate situation becomes more desperate. Consequently, he is forced not only to drive Vincent around LA but also to look at himself for what he is. Were it not for his uncanny impersonation of Ray Charles, this is the performance that would have pushed Jamie Foxx to the front ranks. As Max, he captures all the inner conflict showing surprising pockets of courage when he realizes he has nothing to lose. The interplay between Vincent and Max is what makes this film uniquely intriguing, as it is just not about a villain holding a reluctant victim hostage but about two men who leverage each other's blind spots and weaknesses to fulfill their immediate goals.
Too infrequent on the screen recently, Jada Pinkett-Smith is sharp and memorable in a small but pivotal role as Annie, a federal prosecutor who gets drawn to Max at the beginning. Mark Ruffalo, taking a break from indies, is effective as the slicked-back LA detective who is not sure who his suspect is. Irma P. Hall has a briefly comic scene as Max's bedridden mother. Special mention needs to be given to the wondrous Javier Bardem, who takes a 180-degree turn from his recent saintly roles to play a single scene as the drug kingpin Felix, coolly menacing as he talks facetiously about Humpty Dumpty, Santa Claus and Black Peter. The scene between Foxx and Bardem is superbly played out as Max gradually steels himself into Vincent's identity. Mann's set pieces - in a scary Latin bar, in a frenzied Koreatown dance club - show the director at the height of his stylized creativity, and nighttime in LA has never looked more terrifyingly hypnotic than in the excellent camera-work by cinematographers Paul Cameron and Dion Beebe.
It's a shame that the film gets more predictable toward the end when Vincent becomes his most nihilistic and Terminator-like and Max unconditionally heroic. In a fit of derivativeness, the story suddenly borrows heavily from "Rear Window" and "Speed" with a touch of "The French Connection". Although the cumulative effect is still suspenseful, the familiarity of the climax left me feeling a little empty especially after the plot was unfolding in such an audaciously creative manner. But I still recommend this movie for its overall originality. The two-disc set has plenty of extras - Mann's informative commentary, a feature-length making-of documentary, an interesting prep reel of Cruise and Foxx getting into their roles and just one deleted scene. Well worthwhile even if you are not a fan of this genre.