Before you go see “Collateral”
August 21st, 2004 by Sarin
Make sure you are early.
I got a chance to watch “Collateral”, directed by Michael Mann, but I almost ruined it by coming into the movie VERY VERY late. I knew the first scene would be the most critical from what I read, but I totally flew and missed it.
But I was aware of the characters and their premises already. Jamie Foxx plays a taxi cab driver, Max, an insecure and honest taxi driver who has unfulfilled dreams. He picks Annie (Jada Pinkett Smith), a federal prosecutor and she is almost his opposite. She has worked her way to the top, but like Max, is insecure when it comes to a big case. They flirt, and get to know each other in I hope a great scene, and insecure Max checks himself by not asking her for her number. Luckily she comes back and taps her on the window.
And this is the scene I didn’t see. The rest of the movie plays out like the trailers would, but from that one scene you would know how the rest of the movie would play out. “Collateral” goes into the head of all of its characters and brings it crushing down or reinvents it.
The rest of the film continues into Max’s night as he picks up Vincent (Tom Cruise) and Max’s night turns into the worse. Vincent pays Max to be his escort as he goes around in killings. Tom Cruise’s character is excellent and doesn’t flinch any weaknesses at one point in this film.
What makes “Collateral” so successful is that is not about the violence, the killings, and the thriller that it is. You may not realize it till you leave the theatre, but this movie makes you ‘know’ the characters. The characters interact with each other that are so believable (even through all the action) that nothing comes as suprise. Jamie Foxx puts on his best ever performance as playing as normal a person that you can get in this movie. You know Max would do the things he would do, and that Tom Cruise’s character Vincent who opposed him, is as cold as you first imagined him.
This is indeed a thriller but not a cold one. Max is not your everyday guy, but you feel him. You can relate to his dreams, how he never came to it, and how he views life and the relationships with people. The same goes for even characters that show up for 1 scene or so. Vincent, doesn’t know life in any other way, and he even contradicts Max’s aspirations when Max has a flip over ‘just a fat guy’. With their emotions and their aspirations, you know more about them than seeing them in peril of a gunfight (even though they are plenty of them). The script is tight, greatly written, with plenty of unanswered questions and roads that lead to nowhere. Combined with great cinematography of the City of Los Angeles, terrific casting and direction, “Collateral” is a great movie and step for all those involved.
Out of 5, it gets 4 stars (****).
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I have to agree with you fully. Although, Collateral is an action film it is more of a study of people than anything else. When I reviewed it for my movie of the week I categorized it as a smart action film. Not something you see too much of these days. It is a shame you missed the opening because it really set the mood for the film. Very good indeed.