There IS beauty in the breakdown...

Rating: 10/10 (8 January 2006)

Michael Mann's film "Collateral" is probably one of the best movies I have ever seen. Everything just works, from the acting to the story to the cinematography. Basically, the film is about a hit-man named Vincent (played with restrained fury by Tom Cruise) who hires a taxi driver with plenty of ambition (also played very well by Jamie Foxx) to drive him around to various destinations. What starts out as a simple job soon turns deadly as Max discovers that he must drive Vincent around to kill 5 people involved in a complex court case, and as the night rolls on, he must find a way to save them, AND try to stop Vincent from completing his plan.
There are two major things I like about the film. The first is the cinematography. Now, I've never been to Los Angeles, so I certainly can't vouch for the state of the city, but it looks absolutely beautiful in this film. In all it's high-definition glory, we see the contrast between the seedy parts of the city and how it differs from the business districts. We even get to see nighttime shots of L.A. from a helicopter, and it just looks gorgeous. Another thing I really liked about the film is the interplay between Jamie Foxx and Tom Cruise in their scenes. What starts out as a simple conversation grows as Vincent and Max analyze each other and find out they really do have a lot in common. They also try to give each moral support and advice, which I thought was quite interesting.
Tom Cruise plays the bad guy role to perfection, showing us a killer who is so good at what he does, he barely even feels emotion anymore. Jamie Foxx also does wonders as the timid driver who stands up and asserts his role as a hero. Their conversations and performances really help make the film something special. Mark Ruffalo also does good work as the cop who's trying to figure out more about Vincent, and who tries to save Max at one point (I was surprised he wasn't in the film longer, seeing as how he got killed off so suddenly). The action scenes were also quite thrilling, but the shootout on the train at the end was kind of haphazard (though I will say that Jamie Foxx has EXCELLENT aim). There are also a few plot holes (how both men could be strangely unaffected by a car crash, Vincent's failure to cover his tracks adequately (come on, barging into a hotel room and leaving footprints and a messy crime scene doesn't work]), the laughable conversation between Max and Felix) but these are negligible, and don't distract from the movie in any way. I also enjoyed the soundtrack, which features a lot of alternative and rock music that supports the film (the song played by Audioslave during a drive-by of L.A. is one of the most uplifting things I have ever heard). Overall, though, this is one film you can't miss.
Bottom Line: Go see this film as soon as you can, and also pick up Mann's other films (The Insider, Heat, and Miami Vice).