 Movie
Reviews
with Evelyn Gough
Collateral (MA)
Directed by Michael Mann
 Vincent (Tom Cruise), a contract killer, forces cab driver Max (Jamie Foxx) to drive him to each of his hits. Max is upset because Cruise is a lousy tipper.
I don't know about you but I'm getting a bit tired of Tom Cruise. Apart from playing a nasty bloodsucker in Interview with a Vampire, it seems he always gets stuck with being the good guy (except when it comes to Our Nic). Boring!
Trust director Michael Mann to release Tom's dark side in their latest thriller Collateral. Mann is renowned for his intense crime dramas and once again draws the audience into the seedy underworld that is Los Angeles at night.
This time we make the trip with reluctant cabbie Max (Jamie Foxx). He's had an uneventful day ferrying passengers around, planning his new life as the owner of a deluxe limo service and dreaming of taking a holiday on a tropical island.
His consideration and charm make a big impression on one very attractive passenger, federal prosecuting attorney Annie Farrell (Jada Pinkett Smith) who gives him her business card, "just in case". Things take a definite turn for the worse later in the evening when Max picks up Vincent (Tom Cruise), a smooth talking out-of-towner who offers Max $600 with the promise of another $100 if the cabbie will drive him to his five scheduled appointments. It's against the rules, but Max agrees, a decision he'll very soon regret when he discovers Vincent's true agenda. The guy's a hit man, he's in LA on assignment and Max had just become his unwilling accomplice. Yikes! Here's hoping he gets a big tip.
Collateral is being hyped as a 'Tom Cruise' film, but it's the talented Jamie Foxx who really shines. His portrayal of an ordinary guy having an extraordinary night is superb. As for Cruise, he proves he can run really fast, to me he just seems like Tom Cruise having a bad hair day, since that grey hair is so obviously a wig! Of course, his zillions of loyal fans are sure to disagree.
All in all, Collateral is a very satisfying and stylish action thriller with a nail-biting finale. Just try and avoid the plot holes, they're big enough to drive a taxi into. For example.... the cop car with only one cop in it! Yeah right! In LA at night? I don't think so. And is Victor really a Terminator in disguise? The man's unstoppable.
But I'm just being picky. With Mann in the driver's seat, Collateral is a definitely a ride worth taking.
Rating: 
|
