Michael Mann's follow up to `Ali' has been eagerly awaited, and is his first return to the crime/thriller genre that made his name.
Collateral features a silver haired Tom Cruise ( Last Samurai, Vanilla Sky) as Vincent, an efficient hitman who manages to ensnare reluctant cabbie Max (Jamie Foxx - Ali, Any given sunday), into acting chauffeur , as he is driven to five destinations in one night, to eliminate witnesses in an impending trial of a drugs cartel.
As the audience embarks on a nocturnal tour of LA, we are also introduced to the prosecution lawyer involved in the trial (Jada Pinkett Smith - Matrix trilogy, Ali), and the cop intent on capturing Vincent (Mark Ruffalo - In the cut, Eternal sunshine).
Collaterals bold first impressions are certainly aesthetic, shot mostly on DV (particularly for its ability to display a rich palette of colours in a night time setting), the result is a hazy effect of reds oranges and yellows, which provides a warm urban glow to the LA landscape, and serves to soften the story's inevitable machismo plotline, as well as ensuring a memorable visual experience.
The film features some fine performances throughout, with a warm and credible Jamie Foxx, immediately stealing the show from an occasionally cheesy Tom Cruise. Vincent's part is played well, yet Cruise is seemingly restricted within an action role from displaying the type of sincerity he has previously shown he is capable of, when venturing out of his traditional roles ( in films such as Magnolia and Born on the fourth of July).
Perhaps the best moments from both actors, are a result of the intimacy Mann achieves during the cab rides in the opening scenes, where the rapport between Cruise and Foxx is at its best.
Jada Pinkett Smith although holding a small part in the film, is excellent, with (a still underrated) Mark Ruffalo playing a determined LA detective with confidence and ease.
With much of the film being set inside a taxi, Mann does gain a voyeuristic feel, and our only escape onto the LA streets is into clearly defined walks of life, such as latino clubs or downtown ghettos. The result is a sense of simultaneous events intertwined through the fate or coincidence that brings the main characters together.
The dialogue continues this philosophical tone in the shape of Max and Vincent's conversations, which provides a leading thread throughout the film, as does the perfectionist nature each character brings to their work, surfacing both their differences and their integral similarities (a duality theme between lead characters, which Mann has carried through many of his previous films, such as Manhunter, The Insider, and Heat).
A combination of well choreographed action scenes, and a moody interpretation of LA's underground nightlife, provides us with an intriguing build-up to the story, which is unfortunately let down by a predictable ending, that lacks the exciting (and genre defying) climax, the film so often promises.
Collateral is otherwise a competent and stylish thriller, maintaining Mann's reputation for attention to detail.
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