Collateral (2004) October 5, 2007
Posted by gproject in : Recently Viewed , trackbackDirected by: Michael Mann
Michael Mann’s dark trip into the LA underworld takes a previously comic actor and pairs him up next to a Hollywood A-lister (playing a merciless killer, no less) in what could be described as some of the bravest casting of recent times. Not that Mann is adverse to these kinds of choices – his hiring of Will Smith in Ali gained Smith an Oscar nomination in much the same way Jamie Foxx was nominated for this film. But was the adulation deserved, or was it just a lot of fuss over nothing?
The story is fairly simple, but this is by no means a detriment to the overall product. Max is a night-shift cab driver who wants to run his own business, but has found himself stalled in the same job for twelve years. One night he picks up a well-dressed passenger by the name of Vincent, who pays him handsomely to make five stops around the LA area. Max takes the fare, but quickly regrets his decision when it is revealed at the first stop that Vincent is no ordinary businessman, but a contract killer making his deadly rounds. With four more stops to make, Max becomes embroiled in Vincent’s world – wondering if he alone can take a stand against a trained killer.
With such a small cast of characters involved it is essential that those roles are played to perfection, which they are, with both Cruise and Foxx putting in fantastic performances. Cruise is menacing and uncompromising as the single-focus character of Vincent, while Jamie Foxx gets to run the gauntlet of friendly, anxious and finally rebellious as his ‘normal guy in an abnormal situation’ character of Max. Meanwhile the story certainly gets marks for being interesting and original, as well as staying true to life and not making the character of Max too much of a wise-cracking foil to Vincent. Instead, Max becomes subservient and there’s a genuine fear about his passive involvement in the actions of a killer.
There’s also a visual aesthetic to this film that dominates the screen from start to finish – and that is darkness. Picture meets tone here in some of the darkest footage ever put to film. Even the actors themselves commented on the low-level light conditions that Mann would choose to shoot under, and it shows in the final print. Not in a distracting way though – the necessary parts of the scene are lit appropriately – but enough to give the LA night a fearsome presence as the two characters travel around and fulfil their tasks.
The narrative doesn’t speed along, instead taking its time to set up the situation and characters before revealing the main plot thread of the film. This slow, atmospheric approach suits the movie perfectly, although it does serve to highlight what is a slightly hasty ending even more than normal. The lack of a proper final showdown is in itself a problem, but really it’s the only detraction in an otherwise top notch piece of filmmaking.
Collateral is a fantastic slice of uneasy cinema - dark and brooding with some great performances and an interesting shooting style. The mix of film and DV footage gives a gritty appearance as well as an intentional non-film look which Mann would later build upon during his next feature Miami Vice [review]. But aside from its ending, Collateral is ultimately the better film, showcasing what a little daring on the part of the filmmaker can achieve.
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