Oozing coolness, Mann maintains focus mostly

Rating: 7/10 (10 August 2004)

This movie has coolness dripping off it. It is well shot, expertly edited and the performances are good. The film starts slowly introducing only the characters it needs. The movie has very little fat from a narrative point of view. "Collateral" builds to a better climax than Mann's earlier L.A. Story "Heat". The tension level is established early but the stakes continue to rise. In another director's hands it would quickly become preposterous, but a stable and focused approach keeps the suspension of disbelief at acceptable levels. I think many scenes were shot on HD video. Foxx shows a good range and doesn't overplay his part. Cruise is, well Cruise. It's nice to see him play the bad guy. But he isn't strictly a traditional heavy. In the movie he is a sort of anti-villain, seemingly a devil/angel on the shoulder of Foxx. Similar to DeNiro in "Heat"
You don't really root against him except when it comes to the main conflict between he and the protagonist, Foxx.
One of the main characters of this film is Los Angeles, and Mann doesn't skimp on the cheesecloth while showing the city. He must truly love the city of Los Angeles, because through his lens it looks loads better than it really does. I can understand his love of roads, freeways, and the mechanical and stark look of a city at night because I share it.

A modern city is a wonder of the world. It is a testament to the combined wills of millions of people. The way it looks and lives tells us much about it's residents. I think the director and writer capture this important element in "Collateral".