"Fates intertwined, cosmic coincidence"

Rating: 9/10 (2 January 2012)

It's really not every day that you find a thriller that waxes philosophical in-between murders, especially not one that's extremely well-paced (what with most of it taking place in a taxi). Years ago, someone suggested "Collateral" to me on the basis of Tom Cruise's performance ("You really believe he's a hit-man"), and they were absolutely right. Cruise is operating on a whole different level here. He can go from preachy a**hole to nightmarish assassin with the flip of a switch. The precision in his weapons-handling is fascinating, and when the character is in his zone, there's simply no disrespecting his tradecraft. Whatever your feelings on his personal life, they just melt away while you're watching this. And I still think this is his best performance.
But "Collateral" doesn't stop there, because Jamie Foxx more than holds his own. Both men bring added dimension to their characters, and they make simple conversation scenes riveting. Pretty much everyone in the supporting cast is bringing their A-game, and it's a fully rounded Mann movie; it looks good, the shootouts are explosive, and it's just an all-around stellar movie from start to finish.
9/10