YOU KILLED HIM. NO I SHOT HIM, THE BULLETS AND THE FALL KILLED HIM...

Rating: 8/10 (18 June 2020)

PROS:
~Jamie Foxx is Max, a cab driver that dreams creating a limo company and escaping to tropical islands. However, he postpones constantly these plans because of his insecurities and as a result he is stuck to the unmaginative life of the daily routine spending most of his time inside a cab. In other words, he is defined by his failures and not his dreams.
~Tom Cruise is the villain this time and this change is welcome and refreshing. He is Vincent, a contract killer that deals everything with professionalism. He demonstrates apathy when he kills his targets showing that there is a distinction between the brutality of his job and his calm character. The gray suit and the gray hair highlight exactly his disconnection from the rest of the world.
~The conversations inside the cab are very interesting and help to understand better the characters. The two main characters don't become friends but gain a deep understanding of each other as the night goes on. Vincent believes that there is no solidarity in the world and critisizes Max for not taking risks in his life (by starting a new job or talking to the girl). He is actually the voice of Max acting as a small step to fulfil his purposes. The coyote wandering alone in the streets symbolizes the attachment of Max to an environment he doesn't desire and the lack of his evolution.
~The visuals are astonishing and Michael Mann makes the setting of Los Angeles feel like a live character. The big paintings on the walls, the tunnels, the deserted highways and the alleys are viewed after midnight and the panoramic shots illustrate a city that sleeps. The music choices depict perfectly the urban nature of L.A. However, Mann also demonstates masterful work in the action scenes (the club scene and the one in the train are fantastically directed), not forgetting to shock us at the same time (with the body falling from a building).
~Apart from the two main characters, the rest of the cast is solid too. Jada Pinkett Smith has small screen time but the film makes you care for her by showing her vulnerabilities (her anxiety before a big case). Javier Bardem makes a surprising cameo as the cartel leader and his pretentious monologue about trust is fun to watch. Mark Rufallo as the cop shows his acting chops in a movie of his early career.
CONS:
~The film depends on some conveniences. For example, it is almost impossible for the same taxi driver to meet a hitman and the person who this hitman wants to kill at the same night. Furthermore, Cruise's character gets away easily after a car crash and the helicopters that tracked the taxi cab are suddenly disappeared.