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 One
thing’s for sure about writer-director Michael Mann -- the characters
in his films really know what they’re doing…
In 1995’s
Heat, the cop played by Al Pacino could breeze his way
through a crime scene without even cross checking a forensics
report. In the same film, the thief played by Robert De Niro could
knock off an armored car without breaking a sweat. In 1999’s The
Insider, the television journalist again played by Pacino
knew a hot story when he was onto one, and finally, in 2001’s
Ali, the legendary sports hero played by Will Smith was
good at…well, everyone knows what he was good at!
Now comes
Collateral, a 21st Century crime noir thriller in which
Tom Cruise plays a hitman who’s really good at killing people.
It seems somehow appropriate that Cruise and co-star Jamie Foxx
are both at the top of their game, since director Mann returns
to the stylish suspense drama that made him a top filmmaker to
begin with. Despite being contrived and predictable at times,
Collateral ultimately succeeds as a beautifully shot,
well-acted and thoroughly engrossing psychological drama that
closes the noteworthy part of the summer movie season with a veritable
bang.
The night
started off on a good note for Max (Jamie Foxx), a Los Angeles-based
cab driver who long ago put his dreams on the back-burner. After
some flirtatious banter with a very attractive attorney (Jada
Pinkett Smith), Max’s night takes a turn for the worst when he
picks up Vincent (Tom Cruise), a sharp, silver-haired contract
killer who immediately takes him hostage. Vincent has five people
to kill before the night is over, and Max is going to drive him
to each destination whether he likes it or not. With both the
FBI and the LAPD hot on their tail, Max and Vincent soon find
themselves depending on each other in unexpected ways. But will
they make it through the night? The meter is running…
Michael Mann
abandons the fact-based undercurrent of his last 2 films (The
Insider and Ali) and returns to the genre that made
him a household name with 1981’s Thief and 1986’s Manhunter.
As it is, comparisons are bound to be made between Collateral
and his last LA-based cat-and-mouse crime story, Heat,
but the film also bears a resemblance to Miami Vice,
the slick, groundbreaking television series that Mann launched
and executive produced back in the 80’s. That’s because the city
-- in this case Los Angeles -- plays such a key role in the development
of the story that it’s almost like a character unto itself, and
much like Miami Vice, the soundtrack is also crucial
to setting the intense tone of the film.
Further heightening
the mood is Mann’s decision to use high-definition digital video
instead of film. Since the story takes place over the course of
one long night, Mann was able to shoot deeper into the darkness
in an effort to capture the City of Angels in greater detail.
The experimental approach proved effective in other ways, as it
allowed Mann to keep his budget in the relatively low $60 million
dollar range (which would essentially make Collateral the
cheapest Tom Cruise movie to come along in years).
Speaking
of Cruise, much has been said about the three-time Oscar nominee
shedding his superstar status to show his unsavory side, but the
fact is, he’s done it before. He played a sleazy self-help guru
in 1999’s Magnolia, a blood-sucking creature of the night
in 1994’s Interview with the Vampire, and a disturbed
military academy trainee way back in 1981’s Taps. But
never before has he played a calculating, cold-blooded killer
with such powerful restraint. The result is an intense, strong
performance, and one that’s much colder than the hitman-with-a-heart
that the other Tom (Tom Hanks) played in 2002’s Road
to Perdition. Though Cruise’s hitman possesses a certain
likable quality that shines through from time to time, the same
can be said about Tony Soprano before you quickly realize that
he is – and always will be – a violent, deplorable mobster.
Since Cruise
and Jamie Foxx are trapped in a cab together for much of the story,
the success of the film lies in their chemistry and in their building
psychological warfare. Foxx has shown a lot of promise as a serious
actor before in films like Any Given Sunday and Ali,
but he does an amazing job of representing the heart of Collateral
and more than holds his own against Cruise. If anything,
his character goes through more of an arc than Cruise, and there
are times when he taps into his comedic background just enough
without letting it be intrusive.
As with his
previous films, Mann rounds out his supporting cast with top-notch
performances. Mark Ruffalo adds yet another impressive role to
his resume as the undercover cop who’s called to the scene of
Cruise’s first hit, while excellent character actor Bruce McGill
basically channels Al Pacino’s role from Heat as the
FBI agent who’s hot on Cruise’s tail. And thanks to some snappy
dialogue from the screenplay written by Stuart Beattie, Jada Pinkett
Smith makes the most of a brief, but crucial role as Foxx’s first
customer of the night.
In the end,
Collateral is a Michael Mann film -- not a Tom Cruise
movie like The Last Samurai.
In other words, he has a certain style that guarantees quality
filmmaking, a mesmerizing pace and an incredible flair for detail.
Few filmmakers can set a mood and build suspense better than he
can, and though there are certain key moments that require a suspension
of disbelief, that’s a small price to pay for such an expertly
crafted film.
And that’s
exactly what you’d expect from Michael Mann -- a filmmaker who
really knows what he’s doing.
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