Acting at its Finest

Rating: 10/10 (12 March 2005)

Now let's talk about a great character-driven movie. Jamie Foxx's performance of Max the cab driver is a fine performance. What makes it so compelling is that you really are rooting for this guy. You want him to succeed.
On the other hand, there is Tom Cruise as Vincent. He plays a psychopath. It is a clean performance. It is pure acting genius. He performs this acting job like a surgeon performing a heart operation. That is all I am going to say because I do not want to give away what he does in the film. This is one of the true joys of the film. The fact that Tom Cruise doesn't get to play the bad guy that often. It must be fun to play the bad guy in a film.
Jada Pinkett Smith should get honorable mention too. She plays a key role in the film but she is so good and subtle it's easy to overlook her fine performance. She is also easy on the eyes and as Marth Stewart always says, "That's a good thing!"
Another overlooked actor in the film is Mark Ruffalo who plays a detective. He is destined to become one of our best character actors in film. His range is incredible and scary. This guy can handle just about anything put on his plate.
Finally, Michael Mann is one of our best directors when it comes to action movies. Without his vision, this movie would not have the suspense that makes it so brilliant. I also want to point out the setting in the film. Most of the film is shot on location in Downtown LA. If you have ever been to downtown LA, you will see a sharp contrast between affluence and decadence in the way the city is laid out. Mann shows us the flash of LA and as well as the gritty underbelly. There is a scene at a night club that is amazing because the music is pulsating to the beat just like the characters are pulsating in the scene. Do yourselves a favor, microwave that bag of popcorn, dim the lights, and enjoy a good ride! You'll be glad you did.