Tom Cruises Best Film

Rating: 10/10 (5 October 2015)

Actually not only Tom Cruises best film but also Michael Mann's. Yes, I'm including Heat in that! The set up is simplicity itself. A Hit man( Cruise)coerces a meek cab driver( Foxx) to ferry him around L.A as he terminates a list of targets over the course of 1 night. As premises goes it's deliciously efficient but hardly mind blowing. The brilliance of the film is taking this somewhat generic starting point and adding a level of nuance and characterisation lacking in the vast majority of genre thrillers.
Jamie Foxx was nominated for an Oscar for his excellent portrayal of a man discovering his balls as his circumstances go from bad to worse. It's Tom Cruise however( playing against type) who truly creates a classic character in Vincent- a psychopath who is both chilling and likable. Tom Cruise may be the worlds biggest movie star but it is easy to forget( and ignore) what a great character actor he can be on the rare occasion he is able to shed his hero image. His career may have produced more iconic roles but for my money this is his most interesting.
Another element that also helps differentiate Collateral from the genre crowd is the cinematography. While most film makers try as hard as possible to use digital to replicate the film look, Michael Mann boldly goes in completely the opposite direction. Digital is proudly made to look digital-giving the film a hyper real( and unique) aesthetic it would otherwise lack.
I debated whether I should rate this film a 10 out of 10 because it is does have noticeable flaws( although what film doesn't when you look hard enough). As a myriad of other reviewers have pointed out, the 3rd act feels rather predictable and by the numbers in comparison to the inventive excellence of the first 75 minutes or so. None the less, while the ending may not hold any surprises, crucially it is still satisfying and does not derail( unlike so many movies with that begin with such promise)what has come before. In fact, upon my second viewing, what initially felt like plot contrivance suddenly felt thematically elegant and exactly as it should be.
A great, tense thriller. Watch it!