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Collateral

In his latest film, director Michael Mann ("Ali," "The Insider") makes a conscious return to the stylized neon cityscapes and existentialist themes that served him so well in his earlier work, including TV series "Miami Vice," 1986 serial killer thriller "Manhunter," and, most recognizably here, his Pacino/De Niro heist epic "Heat." Again, he tackles a crime drama that, on the surface, seems simple and yet is given great depth through astute characterisation and striking cinematography.

Max (Jamie Foxx) is a Los Angeles cab driver who dreams of one day owning a limousine firm. After dropping off a fare (Jada Pinkett Smith) with whom there is an obvious mutual attraction, he picks up Vincent (Tom Cruise), a ruthless hit man who commandeers Max’s taxi for the remainder of the night for $600. The condition is that Max will drive Vincent to five locations around town so that he can fulfil his contract. As the body count mounts, Vincent finds his path to success is helped and hindered by his unwilling accomplice. Meanwhile, L.A. cops (Mark Ruffalo and Peter Berg) close in.

It’s a fantastic, intriguing, high-concept premise, which follows though on its set-up and, for the most part, avoids standard action-thriller convention. Much of this is owed to Mann’s limited use of violence: He cleverly spares his gun battles and car stunts for the moments when it will have its greatest effect on revving up the plot, keeping his action scenes fresh and exhilarating.

Both leads play against type to great success. While Cruise holds back the charm and instills within his sharp-suited, grey haired Vincent a cold, cynical assassin’s viewpoint – on a planet of six billion people, why should one person’s life matter? It is Foxx, usually In brash, comedic mode, who is the film’s true revelation. He creates a thoroughly believable character who is forced to do unbelievable things to survive and his progression from mild-mannered daydreamer to man of action, with Vincent as catalyst, seems perfectly logical and necessary in the context of the film.

But what really makes "Collateral" work is the relationship between Max and Vincent. It never resorts to the traditional buddy overtures, at the same time showing how the two men come to understand each other’s rhythms, and use this knowledge to manipulate and out-fox each other. By placing them in such tight boundaries, both in terms of the interior of the taxi and the limited time-scale of the story, the film creates palpable tension and credible motives for the two characters to act upon. This suspense is most effective when Max and Vincent confront other including a jazz musician and Max’s own mother (Irma P. Wells), because Max (and the audience) are expertly made aware of Vincent’s snap-shot, unpredictable decision-making process and overwhelming instinct for self-preservation.

Being a Michael Mann film, style is brought to the fore. Shooting on digital video to pick up the detail of night that traditional film would have missed, he turns L.A. into a futuristic metropolis, brought into sharp focus by electric blues, reds and greens. Mixed in with the handheld camera work are birds-eye helicopter views of Max’s taxi on its mission, lending scope to the proceedings. The film’s centrepiece, a night club shoot out, is built up like a junior version of the main heist in "Heat," rachetting the tension up to 100 as all the players take their positions before unleashing a chaotic, but expertly handled bloodbath.

Overall, "Collateral" is quintessentially a Michael Mann movie and, while some might find that his visual style and deep-thinking characters veer toward pretentiousness, they do imbue his films with a self-belief that, in the case of "Collateral," stops it from becoming a high concept movie in the worst sense of the phrase. Although in a few scenes the plot creaks under predictability, the story keeps the audience guessing as to the protagonists’ next moves, throwing in a number shocks along the way, while the strength of the performances, together with Mann’s visual flair, keep the whole thing on track. It is only at the very end that it reverts to type. After all the surprises and twists, the film descends into familiar thriller territory. This does not by any means wreck what has happened before, but it does mean that a film that could have been great becomes merely very good. "Collateral" is a top notch suspense thriller, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a better one at cinemas this year.

Written by: Sam Nicholas

Reviewers Rating: 8
Reader's Rating: 3.80
Reader's Votes: 5

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