A slick & mature thriller.

Rating: 8/10 (26 August 2004)

From director Michael Mann comes "Collateral", the single night story of a hit-man and a taxi driver, who serves as both hostage and chauffeur. The film is highly reminiscent of "Heat", also helmed by Mann. Fortunately Mann learned from some of his earlier mistakes, crafting a tighter, more personal picture.
The film is rife with Mann's touches, ranging from hues to cues. Set in urban Los Angeles, the lighting and locations effectively reflect the multi-ethnic night scene, as the entire movie is infused with a blue tint (see: "Heat", "The Insider"), adding to the Mann's usual mellow yet driving feel that aids in distinguishing "Collateral" from most cinema. The soundtrack features the fully competent music of James Newton Howard ("Unbreakable"), but the other musical choices are the highlights. Utilizing jazz to classical, as well as the usual dramatic score, the music lounges well in the background, providing a truly appropriate soundtrack to scenes that range from quiet dialogue to brutal action.
Through that variety of scenes, "Collateral" develops characters and story in a parallel manner rather than opt for the common needlessly breakneck stories that substitute action for plot and character depth. After a well-paced introduction accompanied by classical music, Vincent (Tom Cruise) hops into the taxi of Max (Jaime Foxx). One stop later, as the music kicks it in gear, the game is afoot. The two progress through Vincent's list of terror, and they get to know each other. Instead of defining the characters with an opening sequence or two, then hurling them into a chaotic series of events, "Collateral" develops both Vincent and Max to the very last scene. The audience learns about both Vincent and Max as the duo learns about each other, resulting in a compelling, Heat-esque battle of wills between the characters and a viewer's decision about whom to root for.
Given the characters' professions, that choice may seem easy, but for at least two reasons, a legitimate dilemma exists. First of all, it's Tom Cruise, here playing an atypical role for him; plus his Vincent is not a traditional baddie. An evil man, yes, but one who convincingly believes his profession is no different than any other; he sincerely thinks he is doing right. As Hitler proved (pardon the extreme comparison), these are the most dangerous type of evil people, because they possess no remorse and no hesitation. In "Collateral" such an antihero interacts crisply with Jaimie Foxx's character. As Vincent's foil, Max is far from a normal protagonist, and Foxx plays him unexpectedly well as a day-dreaming, underachieving hack stuck in the same rut for a dozen years. With the character traits of the hero and antagonist switched thusly, the story confuses rooting interests yet engages the mind, dragging a willing audience along for an introspective roller-coaster.
In more than one sense, the simple plot brings to mind last year's "Phone Booth", in that the morally questionable main characters are largely confined to a small space, and the pic is basically a mano-a-mano experience. But while "Phone Booth" had Colin Farrell battling an unseen threat, Mann blatantly presents the opposing forces, whether they be physical or mental obstacles. This is a more difficult conflict to express well, but "Collateral" successfully presents the strife, thanks to superb performances from cast and crew. But despite their noblest efforts, a total lack of redeeming character values does fetter the film from fulfilling a greater glory.
Over the last twenty minutes, "Collateral" unfortunately but unsurprisingly lapses into convention but still serves as a thinking man's thriller. You won't find mindless entertainment like "S.W.A.T." here, but something akin to Michael Mann's previous work, in a more compact package.
Bottom Line: Very enjoyable, and a good change of pace from summer tripe. A low 8 of 10.