Meet Max (Jamie Foxx, Breakin' All the Rules), your typical blue-collared cab driver, hustling his way to survive in the mean city of Los Angeles, California. He tries to be an affable guy who seemingly has the entire Los Angeles area mapped out in his own head. He might see familiar faces here and there, but to him, his passengers are just a bunch of forgettable John and Jane Does. Some of these passengers have more issues than others but Max only cares about getting through the night.
It appears as though this might be Max's lucky night. One of the passengers Max has picked up is a beautiful and ambitious federal prosecutor named Annie Farrell (Jada Pinkett Smith, The Matrix Reloaded). Annie talks a little about herself, her line of work, and the fact that she's pulling an all-nighter because she's working on a very important case that could bring down a powerful narco-trafficking cartel. At the end of her ride, Annie gives Max her work card in case he needs to contact her for any...legal help.
It must have been a pretty cool night for Max, right? Wait till you meet Max's next passenger. His name is Vincent (Tom Cruise, The Last Samurai) and he just arrived from LAX where he met Jason Statham (a cool, albeit wasted cameo). Vincent looks like your everyday businessman. He needs a ride because he is visiting several friends. So both Max and Vincent engage in a bit of small talk. Max claims that his cab-driving gig is only a temporary job and that his long-term goal is to launch his own limousine business. The funny thing though, is that Max has been driving cabs for at least twelve years. Little does Max realize that this fellow passenger isn't some nondescript businessman visiting some "friends". He's actually a ruthless, cold-blooded hitman hired by a cartel out to make a few killings for the night. Gee, could this be the same cartel that Annie is trying to bring a case against?
To be precise, there are five people are on the hit list...and Vincent must execute them before the night's end. When Max realizes this...it's too late. One of Vincent’s victims has already fallen on top of Max’s cab, creating quite a mess. Max is a man stuck in a rather precarious situation. He is given two choices: either help the assassin in making his rounds...or become a victim himself. Time is running out...
Truthfully, I found Collateral to be one of the more lackluster thrillers made in recent history. I am rather astounded at all the praise this film is receiving. By no means do I think Collateral is a terrible movie; it has its fair share of merits and I credit Michael Mann for trying to focus on the film's atmosphere and psychology. Yet I found Collateral to be, for the most part, a predictable, anemic thriller more suited for the television or video/DVD rental market.
What Collateral lacks the most is what the premise supposedly promises: thrills. While at times it was cool to watch the interaction between the killer and the hostage, I quite frankly wanted something more. The film does absolutely little beyond the basic premise.
While The Bourne Supremacy wasn't quite the action masterpiece that many critics made it out to be, the film’s constant sense of danger kept me riveted. Collateral on the other hand lacked that feeling of tension. Rather, the film is mired in its predictability. Take this example: when two street thugs decide to steal Vincent's suitcase, you know that Vincent ain't going to let them off easy... I found this scene a rather lame excuse to up the body count. Another case in point: when Max finds out who the fifth victim is on Vincent's hit list, let's just say everybody in the audience knew about the potential victim’s identity before he did. Sometimes, the viewer is just one too many steps ahead of Max...
I would be lying to you if I said that I wasn't interested in being blown away by some enthralling action sequences. Unfortunately, Collateral pretty much disappoints in delivering the slam-bang goods. I will praise the film's action trump card: an awesome violent shoot-out taking place at an Asian nightclub. During the pandemonium, Vincent systematically eliminates the bodyguards until he reaches his target. Watching Vincent land on the floor and then killing the opposition is truly a cool action snapshot. All of the violence takes place to the beat of a stylish techno remix of Paul Oakenfold's "Ready Steady Go". But I will confess: at that point, I lost a lot of interest in the movie so I really couldn't appreciate the deft choreography of that action scene. There is also the grand finale where Vincent must make one last hit. All this leads to a thrilling chase aboard a speeding train. While this chase scene was a bit too conventional for my tastes, at least it provided some edgy, no-holds-barred thrills. Alas, just as the excitement is about to build, everything ends in a thud.
What also vexes me is the film's tendency towards the implausible. Yes, this is a common practice in almost every movie ever made, but in Collateral, there will be times when you are scratching your head and wondering how the hell does somebody get away with doing something like that...
After Vincent makes his first kill, Max is coerced to drive the cab with his own life being held ransom. While driving, two police officers decide to pull Max over. There is a broken windshield and even blood on the cab...so the two police officers naturally need to inspect the vehicle. But just then, the cops have been called upon to attend to other matters before they discover something more grisly in Max's cab (particularly the trunk). I would love to call it a deus ex machina, but technically speaking, this sort of device is not used until near the end!
During the middle of the film, Max then pretends to be Vincent in order to get the supplies Vincent needs for his mission. With the way Max conducted himself as the Vincent imposter, I found it rather contrived that the mob boss Felix (the head of the cartel which hired Vincent) would buy into his veneer. Some people thought that that scene was clever; I just thought it was pathetic. Speaking of Felix, I thought he was a fairly intriguing supporting character and I wish that I could've learned more about him.
All this shows the main culprit to be the weak script which provides too little excitement, little visceral power, nothing really thought-provoking, and too much predictability. The anticlimactic ending didn't exactly help the film's cause.
In all fairness, Collateral does have a lot going for it. I enjoyed much of the film's prevailing psychological undertones. It's cool getting inside the characters head and trying to fathom their thinking. Vincent is like a ticking time bomb and Max must somehow defuse him before more bodies pile up. Although this premise does wear a bit thin, I respect Michael Mann for trying to swing for the fences.
Mann is also a great visual artist; the potent cinematography and imagery effective captures the seedy nighttime life of Los Angeles. The constant shadowy look and ambiance gives this film a sense of detached coolness reminiscence of post-modern noir. But, some moments were just a bit over the top. At one point Max is driving and suddenly he sees a pair of wolves with their glowing eyes crossing the road. Heavy symbolism. Actually, I thought David Lynch decided to take over the director's chair.
The film's greatest attribute lies in its superb performances from the two leads. Both Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx gave commanding performances and their stellar chemistry shows even during the film's dullest moments. Yes, Max (along with the audience) learns a bit about Vincent as he talks about his background a bit. Like any other contract killer, when Vincent is not out putting bullets into people, he meditates on a wide range of issues. Vincent even contemplates that in Los Angeles, if you die, would anyone care to notice?
In many respects, Vincent transcends the typical cliché cold-hearted assassin. I think Tom Cruise does a fantastic job of playing a character that no one really expected Hollywood Tom to play. Sometimes Cruise was a bit uneven, but for the most part, he was very convincing as a menace. Cruise also has a number of moments worth mentioning. While responding to Max's shock over the death of somebody Vincent didn't really know, Vincent goes off on some kind of monologue about the violence and death permeating in Rwanda and how Vincent killing someone he does not know isn't really a big deal—especially in light of the tens of thousands of Rwandans who face grisly slaughter. Cruise can surely deliver these lines with such efficacy. Another scene has Vincent engaging in a conversation with one of his unsuspecting victims—talking about jazz and Miles Davis of all subjects—before putting several bullets to the victim's head. Unfortunately, I cannot help but feel that Cruise looks a tad bit silly with his silver dyed hair look. That look just conjures up images of former University of North Carolina basketball coach Matt Doherty.
Max was just as fascinating and I attribute this to Jamie Foxx's terrific performance. Foxx mixes the right amount of humor and pathos as a cab driver trying to the right thing but knowing that he is under the mercy of a hitman and his bullets. He tries to keep cool under pressure, but he’s cognizant that his life is hanging in the balance. Jamie Foxx has shown a lot of growth as an actor and if he can keep this up, he'll become a true staple on the Hollywood A-list.
Ultimately, I didn't find Collateral to be an awful movie—I just thought it was a tad bit disappointing, especially with all the hype this film received. I personally do not think this film is worth seeing in the theater (or purchasing it on DVD for the matter), but if it's on cable, definitely give it a look. Collateral has too much of a made-for-TV look to it. Michael Mann is a fine filmmaker yet I felt that he didn't fully tap into his resources here. Collateral reminds me of a similar thriller, Phone Booth. Both films have a wonderful premise, strong performances, and little else. However, the latter did have a fair amount of suspense and some interesting allegorical moments. I cannot say the same for Collateral. Many films can get by on the strength of its lead performers; unfortunately, Collateral is not one of them. I wanted to enjoy Collateral but felt it was too insipid and obvious—in spite of the best efforts of everyone involved—for me to give it a hearty recommendation.
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