Review of Collateral (2004) by Nate G — 11 Apr 2012

I was really surprised how much I enjoyed Collateral, I wasnâ(TM)t entirely convinced by the last film of Michael Mannâ(TM)s I saw, Public Enemies, so didnâ(TM)t have high expectations. However, I finished the film impressed, and willing to recommend it. The story is simplistic really, a taxi driver picks up a passenger who turns out to be a hitman. However, some of the best films are based on simplistic plot lines, i.e. Rocky, The Shawshank Redemption, 12 Angry Men, Fight Club, Rear Window, Se7en, etc.

Tom Cruise, at the time, was a huge star, sometimes seemingly coasting in films as Tom Cruise, but in this film, I didnâ(TM)t see him as Tom Cruise, I saw him as Vincent, the cold-blooded, intelligent killer, which he played magnificently. It is also surprising to see Tom Cruise as a villain, he usually plays the hero magnificently, and always thought the villain would be difficult for him, but here, he is perfect.

However, whilst Tom Cruise may be the bigger star, Jamie Foxx was the better actor. In other films Iâ(TM)ve seen him as quite confident, strong, but here, he goes from weak and uncertain to this strong, confident character. He sells the weakened character well before becoming the strong character, and in one club scene, sells the difference amazingly, I definitely want to see more Foxx now that Iâ(TM)ve seen Collateral.

It helped also the supporting cast were very strong, with Jada Pinkett Smith as a possible love interest, Javier Bardem as a villain/nightclub owner, and Mark Ruffalo as a Police officer, each playing solid roles, but not overtaking Foxx and Cruise. Iâ(TM)ve enjoyed all three of them in other roles, so was happy to see them appear.

The only problem I really had was some of the direction, I donâ(TM)t really like Mannâ(TM)s style, with several shots a bit distracting. However, the script, written by Stuart Beattie was very strong, and helped overcompensate for this.