Review of Collateral (2004) by Cedric L — 22 Jun 2016

Collateral stars action movie star Tom Cruise as Vincent, a hit-man arriving in LA to complete contracts. He travels around the city using a taxi, forcing the driver, played by Jamie Foxx, to take him from kill to kill. That synopsis sounds weird, right? America's action hero, Tom Cruise, playing the villain? As odd as it may seem, Cruise did a phenomenal job. His antagonistic approach worked right off the bat, strolling out of an airport at night wearing sunglasses and receiving a hit list from Jason Statham (appearing in a cameo many believe to be reprising his role in the Transporter series). Cruise also works really well with Foxx. Their constant arguments about the morality of Cruise's actions are what really carry the movie. Michael Mann's direction is incredibly stylish and fitting - his use of colorful lighting and establishment shots of LA really bring the scenery to life. Aaron brought up the fact that the movie was shot digitally, and it really worked well with the colors (even if it was a little noticeable for zoom-in shots). Another thing that helped the cinematography was the editing; top-notch cuts helped the desperate tone. The subtle use of music is also noticeable. There are many scenes with nothing but the sounds of the streets as a backdrop.

We gave this movie a lot of praise, but we have to be picky as well and say that Collateral is by no means perfect. Jada Pinkett Smith's character, in the movie for all of 15 minutes, is oddly trusting to Foxx (she was a customer in his Taxi before Cruise) right away. This forced plot element paid off, though, as the writing really brought the movie full-circle in the end. Mark Ruffalo is also in this movie, and his presence is completely unnecessary. it's not that Ruffalo was bad. His character could have been cut and the movie would be the same.

All-in-all, Collateral is carried by the two lead performances and brilliant cinematography, even if the plot is at times convenient. We at Musicians on Movies agree that Collateral earns a B rating.