Mann's Best

Rating: 8/10 (10 August 2004)

Collateral is Mann's best work to date in my opinion, even eclipsing Heat. The film has just the right feel to it throughout with fantastic cinematography and use of HD digital. The filming style is so dead on perfect for the deep, somber feel this film has. The images noticeably sharp and crisp, especially in expertly shot club shootout scene, and in the Taxi.
Also, excellent work by Jamie Foxx turning in a top shelf performance and displaying phenomenal range.
*SPOILERS*
The story is gripping and thought provoking. The two main characters have inverse flaws. Vincent has lost all emotional elements a full human being has. He is cold and calculated, never getting anxious or out of place. He is essentially a "terminator", which is exactly what he looks like when he comes crawling out of the crashed taxi unphased, and moves on to complete his mission like a machine. Vincent takes the viewpoint of his work is no less inhuman as everyone else.
Max has the inverse, he is too soft and timid to take any risks. He might be the best cab driver in LA, but is clearly underachieving. Max lacks the confidence to match his intelligence. He visits his sick mother every night talking about his dreams, and has his days free for 12 years to complete his business plan.
Both men touch on the fact that they were raised differently creating their respective flaws. This theme runs throughout the film of environmental factors are the primary contribution to one's persona. Mann also brings many different ethnicities into play illustrating this environmental theme.
In the fantastic ending, Max is forced into a position of protecting Annie out of moral obligation, and ends up killing Vincent. Vincent's actions have pressed Max to use confidence, and force him to take action. He never would have called Annie, and never would have changed his life. Vincent in the end chose not to pick up that clip of bullets. He became more than a "terminator" because of Max. We actually feel sorry for Vincent as he asks "Do you think anyone will notice?"
This film combines sociological and philosophical elements with a gripping and interesting action/drama. This kind of film is always hard to pull off, but Collateral clicks on all cylinders. 8/10