Near Perfect L.A. Crime Story

Rating: 9/10 (25 August 2004)

Watching Michael Mann's "Collateral" gave me some of the same feelings I had when first watching David Lynch's "Mullholand Drive." Yes, Mann may go astray and deliver us a "Last of the Mohicans" or "Ali" every once in awhile (just as Lynch gives us the rare "Elephant Man" or "Straight Story") but let's face it, he's a niche director, and Mann's niche is crime stories, particularly ones taking place in Los Angeles. David Lynch is best at directing David Lynch movies and Michael Mann is best at directing crime thrillers in the city of angels.
So, here we have a director basking in the glory of what he does best (I loved the lighting, the cityscapes, the eclectic music choices, the camera angles, and even the digital photography which for the first time in my book was put to appropriate and artistic use here). We also have the biggest movie star on the planet, Tom Cruise, relishing in a chance to go against type and play a ruthless, yet somehow endearing hit-man. And thirdly we have a star-making turn from Jamie Foxx as the not so hapless cabbie who has the misfortune of picking up Cruise's fare, also going against type and excelling in a dramatic performance when so many people know him only from his comedic turns. It's so rare to get such a trifecta out of a movie, and to top it off we have Jada Pinkett-Smith as a lawyer looking more stunning and beautiful than she ever has and sparking some genuine chemistry with Foxx. Yes, it gets a bit predictable in the end, and it might not be the epic that Mann's "Heat" was, but along the way we get treated to the best choreographed shoot-out in recent memory, some genuine chemistry amongst big stars, thoughtful dialogue, and classy suspense. All in all, it was the best time I had at the movies this summer.