Flawed but memorable

Rating: 7/10 (14 October 2006)

Despite the overall high rating, a lot of people here have relegated this movie to the killing floor. I must admit that I agree with most of their points. However, I came out on the other side of the equation.
Let's start with the bad points. The film's integrity is just plain killed by sheer disbelief and unfortunately, it takes "Collateral" out of the great movie category. Early on, we have Jada Pinkett's attorney hitting on the cab driver, which is absolutely silly, though the connection is tied together later. The premise of Cruise (doing hits of another kind) riding around in a cab with a cab driver hostage could have been great, but it's carried out in such an over-the-top manner that it strains the limits of credulity. In general, it's the film's attempt to integrate subtle character development with the over-the-top body count that weakens the overall structure and causes it to devolve at times into total dumbness.
But, these points aside, let's talk about the good aspects of the film. This is an interesting take on the old film noir style using indirect angle shots, shadows, and blurred lighting to create an effect similar to "Night and the City" by Jules Dassin. The soundtrack is a brilliant melange of grooves. Tom Cruise's performance is quite good, as is Javier Bardem in a brief spot. The interplay between Cruise and Foxx is arresting and accelerates to a compelling conclusion.
To me, the question is ultimately - "how did it play?" I found myself thinking about the movie for some time after its conclusion, and it's that indelible impression that's worth a 7/10.