Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx are excellent in this top notch thriller.

Rating: 9/10 (27 December 2015)

Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx are both cast against type in Michael Mann's thriller Collateral. Both are excellent in this top notch thriller that had me engaged from beginning to end. Michael Mann who is best known for the crime caper Heat (1995) can add another excellent movie to his filmography with Collateral as one of his best movies.
Max (Jamie Foxx) is a taxi driver who is meticulous in his routine and knows his way through the streets of Los Angeles like the back of his hand. He's seen it all as he's been doing it for 12 years. Max also has big dreams of having his own limousine company which has not eventuated. Amongst his passengers include US Department of Justice prosecutor Annie Farrell (Jada Pinkett Smith) who has taking a liking to Max. Soon after a mysterious man dressed in a grey suit named Vincent (Tom Cruise) enters Max's taxi and offers Max $600 to drive him around Los Angeles for the entire night making various stops along the way. The first fare turns out to be anything but routine when a man riddled with bullets falls out of an apartment window and onto Max's taxi. Vincent later reveals himself to be a hit-man and takes Max hostage, ordering him to drive him to various stops to complete his task. Not only must Max work to save himself, he must also try to save the remaining targets. Hot on the path and trying to make the connection between the victims is LAPD Detective Ray Fanning (Mark Ruffalo).
Everyone is used to seeing Tom Cruise as the good guy but without a doubt this is one of his best performances as the cold and sleek hit-man Vincent. It was a shame Tom Cruise did not receive any awards for his performance because this was one of his most memorable roles. Jamie Foxx who frequently plays loud and charismatic characters also goes against type as the mild mannered and diligent taxi driver Max. Jamie Foxx was a well deserved nominee for an Academy Award for his role as Max. Rounding out the supporting cast includes Mark Ruffalo, Jada Pinkett Smith, Peter Berg, Bruce McGill, Barry Shabaka Henley, Javier Bardem and in a brief cameo Jason Statham.
Director Michael Mann brings to life a neo noir thriller with his trademark visuals and a tightly wound story that does not have a single dull moment. Everything about it is vintage Michael Mann. Australian writer Stuart Beattie brings to his life his excellent work which originally started as an idea which popped into his head as a 17 year old catching a taxi from Sydney Airport to his home. I bet he's glad he put that idea on paper and seeing it brought to life on screen.
Collateral is a top notch thriller. Not only is it engaging from start to finish, Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx are both memorable in their respective roles which keeps the film moving at a cracking pace. Collateral truly deserved its critical acclaim.