Review of Collateral (2004) by Ben R — 25 May 2015

What a great movie. First of all, there's two great performances. Jamie Foxx is playing the everyman, but there's a surprising amount of depth to his performance, and it's great to see him subtly become more confident over the course of the movie. Action movies are always fun, but it's great when a movie like this can add a layer of meaning and depth; there are running themes of humanity's insignificance and what it means to be a human. Tom Cruise plays Vincent, a guy who's extremely cold and calculated, which is ironically what kills him in the end.

Speaking of which...Tom Cruise! With every role I see him in, I'm more surprised and impressed with his acting. It's obvious that his personal life really overshadows his performances, and it's a shame, because he has so many great ones. He should really do more villain roles, because he was awesome here, terrifying in how cold and efficient he was. It's the perfect balance of cold and human, because there are a number of scenes that show he's not entirely robotic, like when he gives Max advice, and when he actually saves Max's life. The most compelling thing about the movie, of course, is the dynamic between Max and Vincent. It's such an intriguing relationship, partly because at some points Vincent seems like an antihero instead of just a villain. By the time he's reached the fourth mark, it's almost like the viewer (me, at least) is rooting for the two of them together. Even though Max is forced to do what he's doing, it's thrilling to watch him and Vincent walking into the club to take out the fourth witness. That's just a great scene in general, with the chaos of the screaming and running crowd creating a great set. Then, reality snaps back into place when Vincent coldly shoots Fanning, the one guy who actually believed Max's story.

The last act is controversial, apparently. In some ways, I understand that; bringing Annie back feels a little contrived and, worse, pretty unnecessary. Max already has enough motivation to despise Vincent and everything he stands for, so creating a hero narrative isn't really necessary. Still, I think the film overcomes these deficiencies for a number of reasons. One, there's foreshadowing with Annie, partially with the pace of the movie (the fourth mark at the club seems like the last big enemy, not like just another mark leading up to the end) and partially with the fact that Vincent was scoping out Annie's building at the beginning of the film. Second, the general characterization and themes suggested by the Max-Vincent dynamic (which, it could be argued, Annie disrupts) are still intact, based on Max's growth as a character leading up to his heroic turn in the last act and based on the scene when Vincent dies, repeating an earlier anecdote that brings the themes full circle. And thirdly, and most important: the end is entertaining as hell. All the scenes from the car crash onward are super suspenseful, with Max standing outside and watching Vincent look for Annie throughout the building, then all the scenes in the dark building, etc.

Overall, this was a really entertaining thriller with a healthy dose of levity and humor, a great noir aesthetic, surprising depth, and great performances.