'Collateral' is a professionally made and competent thriller.

Rating: Null/10 (7 August 2004)

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"I can't drive you around while you're killing folks. It ain't my job!" "Tonight it is."
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'Collateral' is a professionally made and competent thriller. Unfortunately, despite crisp direction from Michael Mann and good performances from both Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx, the film rarely rises above that level. That the film achieves every one of its goals is not much of a compliment because its goals were set rather low. 'Collateral' wants to provide two hours of low-boil tension with occasional outbursts of excitement as we follow a cold-hearted contract assassin (Cruise) and his unwilling chauffeur-for-the-night cab driver (Foxx). It accomplishes that competently.
What is slightly depressing is that the film starts off with some really great character development and has us truly getting involved with the two main leads, but then dwindles into a routine cat and mouse chase that can be seen in any one of a dozen other films each year. It almost feels like the ideas just ran dry half way through writing the screenplay.
However, there are many things to like here. Mann is tremendously confident with his camera work. His angles and shot selections will never allow you to look at your wristwatch in boredom. He gives this film a memorable look.
I really liked the initial scene with Jamie Foxx driving Jada Pinkett-Smith's attorney character to her office. It takes a while for us to fully realize the significance of that cab ride, but it is a fascinating conversation that is well executed.
I also enjoyed both Cruise and Foxx. Their interaction early in the crazy Los Angeles night, as Vincent (Cruise) adapts Max (Foxx) into his deadly plans, was intriguing to say the least. Cruise's performance was typically brilliant, but Foxx surprised me. He really has some acting chops on him. I look forward to seeing more from him in the future.
I also appreciated the use of location. Los Angeles is such a vast city... spread out and disjointed. It is rare that a film captures the character of that city the way so many have with NYC. Mann uses the city very well.
I suppose the film can easily be considered 'good'... perhaps I would not argue too much with 'very good'. But it stumbles short of greatness because it doesn't set its sights very high. I don't think it qualifies as anything more than mere entertainment or two hours of thrills and I don't think too many in the audience will remember much about it a few months from now.
'Collateral' is a solid thriller with a clever premise, a visually inventive look, and a couple of intense performances. It succeeds in what it attempts to do... I just wanted it to do more. I wanted to feel something more... for the situation, the ideas or the characters. Instead, as I squinted my way into the parking-lot, all I was wondering was where I had parked.
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"You just met him once and you killed him like that?" "What... I should only kill people after I get to know them?"
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