Collateral Movie Review

Collateral (2004)

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Written by: Stuart Beattie
Directed by: Michael Mann
Starring: Tom Cruise, Jamie Foxx, Jada Pinkett Smith, Mark Ruffalo, Peter Berg, Bruce McGill, Debi Mazar, Javier Bardem, Emilio Rivera
Rated: R
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Plot
A cab driver finds himself the hostage of an engaging contract killer as he makes his rounds from hit to hit during one night in Los Angeles.

Verdict
This is an action movie that instead focuses on what would be a side character in many movies. That gives this a unique perspective as the basis, focusing on the victim. We also get two opposing characters with distinct motives and goals as this becomes a character study. The entire movie happens in one night which lends to excellent pacing while the city of Los Angeles feeling like its own character. It's well made, and the stars do a great job of creating the characters.
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Review
Max (Jamie Foxx) is a cab driver that's focused, driven, and good at his job. He's observant and sharp, telling fares that driving cabs is part time. You've got to wonder if that is a rut he can escape, and then we find out he's had this part time job for twelve years. It doesn't seem like he's getting out, and his limo business idea might just be a fantasy.

Jamie Foxx plays Max

Vincent (Tom Cruise) is a charming guy that convinces Max to take him to multiple stops during the night for a big payout. That quickly goes off the rails, almost as soon as it starts. It's quite the coincidence that the guy Vincent kills falls right on to Max's cab, but that does kick start the plot. Max obviously doesn't want to be in the cab with Vincent, but Vincent is fast talking and holding a large pistol.

We get a moment between Max and Vincent, where Max's boss is hassling him over the radio. Max is just taking it, but Vincent steps in and stands up for Max. Vincent talks Max out of the incident. Is Vincent really a good guy in a bad situation? I don't think so. Doing this allies them, and that's what Vincent needs in that moment.

Tom Cruise plays Vincent

In many movies, Vincent would be the main character and we would follow him on his adventures. In this movie, we wait with Max in the cab when Vincent leaves. We don't see what many movies would treat as the main action. We're trapped in the cab with Max.

We've seen that Max is living a fantasy, trying to fool himself into thinking the future he wants is possible. Vincent oddly empowers Max, pushing him to overcome self doubt. Vincent isn't altruistic. It benefits Vincent, and Max is just a byproduct. Because of this we see Max play Vincent, using a confidence he's completely faking. 

This is a character drama using a typical action movie plot. Vincent and Max highlight the other's flaws as the stress of the night comes to a point where they're forced to confront each other. Ironically, Vincent has played a part in giving Max the confidence for the confrontation.

Throughout the movie they talk about Los Angeles, and this is one of the rare movies where the city is almost its own character. We explore Los Angeles at night, but it's the dark corners and allies. This isn't the Hollywood side. The ending is poetic, echoing a criticism Vincent had of Los Angeles earlier.