Collateral keeps things on edge

Rating: Null/10 (6 August 2004)

Director Michael Mann delivers in the guise of an urban thriller, an intriguing character study of contrast between good and evil in Collateral. Tom Cruise changes pace by playing a hitman with a nasty streak, and Jamie Foxx has the straight man role as a cab driver. Essentially a Hitchcockian premise with a perverse twist, the film begins with Foxx as the innocent bystander-type working one night driving his taxi who picks up Cruise without realizing that the two are embarking on a methodical murder of five targets. Gradually, the L.A. police led by Mark Ruffalo realize that the growing pile of bodies is connected to a taxicab. While it goes on a bit too long at one point, Collateral picks up steam in the last one-third of the film and sustains a strong level of suspense and angst as Foxx races against time to prevent one last murder that hits close to home.

Even with a plot that is quite simple, Mann uses Los Angeles to paint a large canvas in much the way directors Martin Scorsese and Sidney Lumet utilize New York City as almost a third character. All of the trademark glitz and glitter in cinematography and imaginative editing we have come to expect from Mann are on display. Has it really been almost two decades since TV's Miami Vice? As expected, contemporary dance music and evocative mood instrumentals flesh out the scenes effectively. Mann has always demonstrated a strong command of soundtrack music. Collateral shares some of the same pedigree as his earlier heist epic, Heat. In both films, a basic plotline is heightened by interesting character contrasts between two men-one good and the other bad.

Although the dialogue between Foxx and Cruise is the crux of the film, it ranges from witty to intense to mediocre at times. One wishes the script had one more pass to punch it up so that by the time the finale rolls around, there is a bit more poignancy and irony which the filmmakers surely intended. There are a few lapses of logic and credibility especially toward the end but the story moves along sufficiently to keep one engaged.

Cruise is effective as a baddie, but it is Foxx who shines in a more challenging role. He had a memorable turn in Oliver Stone's football epic, Any Given Sunday, and here he is given ample room to broaden his range as an actor. It is certain that he will attain more dramatic roles in the future. Jada Pinkett Smith, as an attorney who has a fateful encounter with Foxx, rounds out a solid cast.

Given that the action sequences are brutal yet brief, it is remarkable that for the most part, the film sustains its fatalistic mood and tension while entertaining the audience with its two lead characters. Tom Cruise fans will find this a curious footnote in his filmography and Michael Mann followers will soak up the riches of his filmmaking prowess. Collateral is a feast for the eyes and ears with just enough substance and character in between.