Just short of a classic.

Rating: Null/10 (6 December 2004)

Micheal Mann is already a firm and established director with films such as Heat and The Insider to his name. His ability to bring in the best acting talent on the planet is demonstrated by casting of such diverse stars as the classic All Pacino, a young and up and coming Val Kilmer, and a emotive Russle Crowe in pevious films. Now he switches his attention to Tom Cruise in this exceptionally filmed thriller.
The movie takes on the plot of a cab driver (played by Jammie Foxx) picking up a hit-man (Cruise) who then holds him hostage whilst he systematically completes a list of killings throughout the night. The plot maintains pace and suspense with twists throughout. However it would be a overstatement to say the plot of this movie was sublime, the narrative is no where near as deep as the classic Heat. Instead it relies on sharp sudden violence and carefully crafted atmospheric moments.
The real draw to this movie is the superb atmosphere it creates. The late night LA scenery is perhaps the best performing character in the film. As the night goes on the settings move seamlessly from a jazz club to a dance club. Mann skillfully handles the linear pitfalls of having a car location by using overheads and setting work. This gives the whole film a sense of class that is oh to lacking in modern blockbusters. The film also seems to have maturity about it, geeky CGI sequences are replaced by clever camera angles and intelligent acting from Cruise in particular.
The cast of the movie is varied in performance. Cruise handles playing the ice cold killer Vincent like you would expect him to. He plays him charismatic and appealing, for the whole film he spends his time committing atrocities however the audience still finds him accessible. Cruise handles the dialogue in a way that has established him as a Hollywood great, his performance dwarfs Foxx's weak attempts. However this creates a lack of balance, whilst Cruise is delivering a matured and calculated performance there are instances when Foxx can be seen to be attempting to find his feet in this his first serious role. Perhaps a casting of Samuel Jackson would of better suited the part? Jada Pinkett Smith delivers a average performance in the brief dialogue she has but she too stays in the shadow of Cruise. Perhaps this movie will win Cruise the Oscar he has been waiting for this year? it certainly seems as if he has strayed from the hunky hero's into more darker characters and in my opinion a Oscar is long overdue.
In summary the film itself is a brilliantly crafted work. The atmosphere, the lighting, the sound score all create a overwhelming feeling that you are watching a movie that stands out against all the other situation suspense thrillers. Mann again proves his worth as a director and the movie holds the audience attention. Cruise also proves his worth as a seriously established actor whilst the rest of the cast fumble to live up to him. However despite the praise this film perhaps lacks the depth and scope to become a classic. It may become forgotten with all the other thrillers to arrive this year and fall short of gaining the respect it deserves not through what it's done wrong, but through what it hasn't attempted to do right.