The dreamer and the nihilist

Rating: 9/10 (11 July 2018)

Max, a good-hearted Los Angeles cabbie with dreams but not much resolve, takes a man named Vincent as his client for one night, and has the most unusual and dangerous night of his life...
Collateral is a slick and compact film that masquerades as a crime drama/action film when it is really about its two main characters and the things they represent. Max and Vincent, played to perfection by Jamie Foxx and Tom Cruise, are main characters, opponents and complementary opposites all at the same time. The film makes the unusual but effective decision of having the two opponents in the same spot for most of the film (inside Max's taxi), and this closeness prepares the ground for the exchanges between Max and Vincent, both actually noticing their problems this way and teaching each other (however, only one of them really learns).
Despite its great atmosphere and impressive shootout scenes, Collateral is really about bad choices and missed chances. It's the story of two people with very different lives and morals who are dissatisfied deep down with what their choices resulted for them, and are looking for a way out whether under the guise of avoidance or adaptation. It is a great film and never becomes less interesting on repeated viewings.