Review of Collateral (2004) by Drew O — 31 Mar 2013

I'm not scared to say that Collateral is one of the greatest movies I've ever seen. It's by far the greatest movie of 2004 and easily one of the best, if not THE best, film of the entire decade. The film grips you from the very beginning and doesn't let go until the credits roll. Literally the entire film is spent on the edge of your seat and your breaths are few and far in between the endless thrills.

I'm a giant Tom Cruise fan, I put him right up with Brad Pitt for my favorite actors alive today. And this is definitely one of his absolute greatest performances, and he makes for one of the best villains in the modern movie era. Of course, the Academy Awards shunned him like they do for everybody else that gives performances like these. All the other actors are superb as well. Jamie Foxx is convincing as the taxi driver caught up in all this, and Mark Ruffalo delivers coolness and excellence as a detective trying to catch Cruise. You also see brief appearances from Jada Pinkett Smith and Javier Bardem to round it all out.

Michael Mann's patented visual style is at full force here, and is used to excellent effect. The scene in the nightclub is probably the most heart pounding and thrilling scene of the entire movie, and is too exciting and stylish for words to describe.

As I said, I'm not at all afraid to place Collateral among the greatest films of the decade, perhaps even all time. It's style and coolness is unmatched by so many other crime flicks out there, and it has thrills and suspense that I can't begin to explain. If you though Mann's "Heat" was great, Collateral will blow you away. Not to be missed by anyone who enjoys anything about movies. An absolutely perfect crime thriller in every way imaginable.