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Craig Younkin
Movie Review
Collateral
By Lee Tistaert Published August 10, 2004
US Release: August 6, 2004
Directed by: Michael Mann
Starring: Tom Cruise , Jamie Foxx
R
Running Time: 116 minutes
Domestic Box Office: $100,440,000
Directed by: Michael Mann
Starring: Tom Cruise , Jamie Foxx
R
Running Time: 116 minutes
Domestic Box Office: $100,440,000
B-
22 of 120
This is an enjoyable film that pays more attention to the human drama of its subject than of being thrilled.
A story like Collateral can be pretty intriguing: take an average guy who has dreams of more in life who hasn?t embarked on them, and have his daily rituals be hijacked by danger, and over time we witness what he will do in such a situation to survive.
Collateral plays upon this idea, in which case the danger is a man name Vincent, played by Tom Cruise, and the average Joe is Max, played by Jamie Foxx. Max is a cab driver who claims he will eventually leave his job for better things, while Max is one of his customers one night, a hitman who forces him to drive around and help him in his contract killing assignments.
With a concept as such, it can lead various ways in the storytelling, and I appreciated some of them for appropriately building the characters, though was not happy with the very clich? ending. This is an enjoyable film that pays more attention to the human drama of its subject than of being thrilled, and I respect that. However, sometimes the story components get pretty typical, while others are handled intelligently, which almost makes for a mixed bag of a film, but it gets away with being diverting.
More so than Cruise, Collateral is a showcase for Jamie Foxx, proving that he may have more within himself than a touch for comedy, even though I?ve never found him funny previously. Foxx shows a potential range as Max, a mellow man who is suddenly placed in a situation where being quiet about his means is no longer an option. There were a few moments that I felt Foxx was overdoing it in his reactions, but given many other scenes, this film makes me look forward to what he can hand over in his fall release, Ray.
Coming into this movie, I was unsure whether I was going to believe Tom Cruise as a contract killer, and coming out, I was not impressed though wasn?t in that ?told you so? mindset. One aspect I was questionable about was whether his character?s hairdo would be an over the top way of building his character. My view is that details like this can be desperate, which also can allow the actor to hide behind that mask as a performance. I thought Cruise was pretty good as the villain, though nothing in comparison to the very dark character he portrayed in Magnolia, which is my favorite performance of his (alongside his delivery in Jerry Maguire).
There were a few moments that I felt Cruise was trying too hard, but not often. The story also attempts to give Vincent a humanistic side to his personality, and in that angle it seemed a little forced, as if you could see right through the screenwriter, trying to make you like Vincent. In comparison, the relationship between Foxx and Jada Pinkett Smith at the beginning is orchestrated very naturally, all in the acting and beats, thus making that bond strong.
There?s human drama and a few thrilling scenes, but the film is surprisingly pretty funny at times, which creates a nice balance. Though that factor doesn?t reach the same level as Speed (B+), or even True Lies (B), which are some of the kings of that balance, it?s a start, and not bad.
Director Michael Mann has also taken a project that could?ve played various different ways in mood, and skillfully applied a dark tone, and played with the lighting to add a very efficient layer. This film could?ve easily been a rather typical episode in its genre, and because of Mann?s presence, Collateral is that much easier to endure and appreciate due to the style.
Collateral leads up to a very clich? ending, and though I didn?t expect it to go this exact route when I walked in, once that element fell into gear I was really rolling my eyes. But at the same time, as it was happening, I was still in an edgy mindset, in which case Mann and company deserve props, as these kinds of finales can be really frustrating to endure. I would?ve preferred a different route, but it could?ve been worse. Collateral makes you think, but not a lot, and it?s enjoyable, but not particularly memorable; this is an easy night at the movies in terms of its genre, though you probably won?t talk about it much.
Collateral plays upon this idea, in which case the danger is a man name Vincent, played by Tom Cruise, and the average Joe is Max, played by Jamie Foxx. Max is a cab driver who claims he will eventually leave his job for better things, while Max is one of his customers one night, a hitman who forces him to drive around and help him in his contract killing assignments.
With a concept as such, it can lead various ways in the storytelling, and I appreciated some of them for appropriately building the characters, though was not happy with the very clich? ending. This is an enjoyable film that pays more attention to the human drama of its subject than of being thrilled, and I respect that. However, sometimes the story components get pretty typical, while others are handled intelligently, which almost makes for a mixed bag of a film, but it gets away with being diverting.
More so than Cruise, Collateral is a showcase for Jamie Foxx, proving that he may have more within himself than a touch for comedy, even though I?ve never found him funny previously. Foxx shows a potential range as Max, a mellow man who is suddenly placed in a situation where being quiet about his means is no longer an option. There were a few moments that I felt Foxx was overdoing it in his reactions, but given many other scenes, this film makes me look forward to what he can hand over in his fall release, Ray.
Coming into this movie, I was unsure whether I was going to believe Tom Cruise as a contract killer, and coming out, I was not impressed though wasn?t in that ?told you so? mindset. One aspect I was questionable about was whether his character?s hairdo would be an over the top way of building his character. My view is that details like this can be desperate, which also can allow the actor to hide behind that mask as a performance. I thought Cruise was pretty good as the villain, though nothing in comparison to the very dark character he portrayed in Magnolia, which is my favorite performance of his (alongside his delivery in Jerry Maguire).
There were a few moments that I felt Cruise was trying too hard, but not often. The story also attempts to give Vincent a humanistic side to his personality, and in that angle it seemed a little forced, as if you could see right through the screenwriter, trying to make you like Vincent. In comparison, the relationship between Foxx and Jada Pinkett Smith at the beginning is orchestrated very naturally, all in the acting and beats, thus making that bond strong.
There?s human drama and a few thrilling scenes, but the film is surprisingly pretty funny at times, which creates a nice balance. Though that factor doesn?t reach the same level as Speed (B+), or even True Lies (B), which are some of the kings of that balance, it?s a start, and not bad.
Director Michael Mann has also taken a project that could?ve played various different ways in mood, and skillfully applied a dark tone, and played with the lighting to add a very efficient layer. This film could?ve easily been a rather typical episode in its genre, and because of Mann?s presence, Collateral is that much easier to endure and appreciate due to the style.
Collateral leads up to a very clich? ending, and though I didn?t expect it to go this exact route when I walked in, once that element fell into gear I was really rolling my eyes. But at the same time, as it was happening, I was still in an edgy mindset, in which case Mann and company deserve props, as these kinds of finales can be really frustrating to endure. I would?ve preferred a different route, but it could?ve been worse. Collateral makes you think, but not a lot, and it?s enjoyable, but not particularly memorable; this is an easy night at the movies in terms of its genre, though you probably won?t talk about it much.
Lee's Grade: B-
Ranked #22 of 120 between The Door in the Floor (#21) and Secret Window (#23) for 2004 movies.
Ranked #22 of 120 between The Door in the Floor (#21) and Secret Window (#23) for 2004 movies.
Lee's Overall Grading: 3025 graded movies
| A | 0.4% | |
| B | 30.0% | |
| C | 61.7% | |
| D | 8.0% | |
| F | 0.0% |
'Collateral' Articles
- Craig's review B+
August 8, 2004 It's a movie made with skill by talented people, which in this summer is just as needed as mindless explosions and car chases. -- Craig Younkin
