Deathcab On Duty

Rating: Null/10 (11 November 2004)

Style swamps substance. Yes, it's atmospheric, but Mann goes over the top with the closeups and quick cutting, and pulls the focus very severely at every opportunity (maybe this was done digitally after shooting). The visuals are often both pretty and dark, which is, I guess, Mann's specialty, but in combination with the pounding soundtrack it was like being forced to shotgun eight Red Bulls in a row.
Collateral is built around six critical events. Sandwiched in between these are scenes that are supposed to be psychological drama, where the two characters build a kind of relationship, and the movie hits the brakes and slows to a crawl. I was surprised that it was just under two hours, as it seemed more like more. Many more. And these scenes are hard to believe. Look at the situation Max is in -- would he really be able to open up to this sociopathic super-killer who is kidnapping him and forcing him to collaborate?
Given this problem, Foxx does a decent job. If anything, he plays it too nice. Meanwhile Cruise is entertaining as the the super-killer, and even gets most of the laughs. Neither, however, is up to the task of convincing us that these two have anything to learn from each other, or even the innate capacity to do so. Not their fault, but because these scenes are so long and unconvincing we end up sharing Max's impotent frustration every time he's forced back into the deathcab.
I should mention here that about halfway through, there was this guy a couple of rows ahead who was kind of drunk and crazy, yelling things out in uncontrolled fits. Then he took his shoes off, and things really went downhill. A powerful stench started to waft back to us. But we kept thinking that the movie would end soon, what with the false climaxes, so we didn't bother to move, despite the tears in our eyes.
(Warning: Something of a spoiler follows, not that you couldn't see it a mile off anyway.)
Back to the structure. This could have been stripped down to a psychodrama if Mann stayed with the cab and the relationship, and paced it so it accelerated through the six episodes instead of screeching to a halt between each killing spree. He also burdens a simple but intriguing (if unrealistic) concept with an overlong setup that tips us off to a major plot element in the end -- right after Max is introduced, with admirable economy, there's an interminable setup of the annoyingly vacant Jada Pinkett character, Annie. (A hotshot lawyer? Yeah, right.) This is before the killer Vincent even makes the scene. We just know she's going to reappear, we wish she wouldn't, and when she does it's all too predictable. There's also a subplot involving (of course) an insightful and noble police detective in the traditional, and very tired, turf battle with arrogant FBI interlopers.
There is a lean and efficient film in here somewhere, but thanks to these plot extras it ends up slow and plodding, and no amount of Red Bull can compensate. Also it would have been better without the guy with the rotting feet.