DVD Reviews

Collateral – Blu-ray Review

By Patrick Luce Apr 26, 2010, 13:57 GMT

A taxi driver is unexpectedly taken on the ride of his life in this stylish thriller from acclaimed director Michael Mann. Max (Jamie Foxx) is a cab driver who hopes to some day open his own limo company; one night behind the wheel begins promisingly when he picks up Annie (Jada Pinkett-Smith), an attorney working with the federal government who is attractive, friendly, and gives him her business card after ...more

Collateral is another slow-burn thriller from director Michael Mann, and the film demonstrates why Mann is a master at the genre.

The movie features great performances from its cast, a visual style that is the director’s calling card, and a plot that builds to an explosive finish.

The film looks solid in its Blu-ray upgrade – which is a blend of gloss and grain.

Written by Stuart Beattie (Derailed, 30 Days of Night, and G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra), the film features a rare villain turn by superstar Tom Cruise, a reserved performance from Jamie Foxx, and a nice supporting turn by Jada Pinkett Smith. It also features great cinematography work by Dion Beebe and Paul Cameron, and music by James Newton Howard.

The film’s plot is rather basic, Los Angeles cab driver Max (Foxx) gets in over his head when he agrees to drive Vincent (Cruise) around the entire night – rather than just the one-stop fair that he is supposed to normally take. Vincent is in town for a few hours and has to make several stops. He offers Max (who longs to get his own limo service) a good amount of money to rent the cab for the night, but fails to let Max know all the details about the stops.

It seems Vincent is actually a hitman, and the several stops are the witnesses he is being paid to kill before they can testify in a big trial. He is also supposed to kill U.S. Justice Department prosecutor Annie Farrell (Smith).

Oddly enough, Annie was in Max’s cab at the beginning of the movie, and the two had an odd flirtation that seems could lead to a possible romance. The opening scenes with the two characters help establish the film’s tension – Max is not only worried for his own life but also Annie – and helps make Max an instantly likeable character.

As the film rolls on, the audience begins to see how nuts Cruise’s Vincent is, but also that he has a much larger plan for Max. This isn’t the first time Vincent has been sent on this type of assignment, and it appears his plan is to make the killings look like Max’s work, before killing Max.

There is also some good work done by Mark Ruffalo as a Los Angeles cop who doesn’t buy into the “mad cab driver killing random people” plot and thinks it might be the work of a hitman covering his trail.

As the movie rolls on, the bodies start to pile up, Foxx gets more frantic to stop Vincent, and Cruise gets a tad too over-the-top with his character. The movie also features a slow-down where the characters discuss jazz and the genius of Miles Davis.

Although there is quite a bit of dialogue in the scene (where Vincent quizzes a potential victim on his knowledge of the musician), it is a perfect example of Mann playing with tension and dragging it out for maximum effect.

The audience knows Vincent is going to kill the guy (played by the great Barry Shabaka Henley), Max knows Vincent is going to kill the guy, and even the guy knows he is dead. Yet, Mann keeps the actors subdued, the camera work tight, and the pace slow until the shot goes off. When it happens, there is a feeling like you didn’t know it was coming. You also get just how evil Vincent is by the way he was just toying with the guy.

Like most Mann films, Collateral works on several layers (different stories blended together, the city at night, the film’s music) that come together in the final minutes for a great ending that is the payoff for all the time invested.

The film’s strength is in the performance of the actors – most notably Jamie Foxx. I am not a huge Foxx fan (I liked him in Ray and Miami Vice, but he isn’t one of my favorite actors), but this film demonstrates how talented the guy is when he has good material.

The only way a film like Collateral works is if you can buy into the story, and Foxx makes that story believable. His performance as Max gives the audience a window into the film. His character seems to be taking us for a ride as well as Vincent and you are never certain he is still going to be breathing when the credits roll.

Jada Pinkett Smith also delivers one of her best performances – which is also more subtle than most of her screen work. Her character could easily be a throwaway plot device, but Smith makes the character matter, and you want her to make it to the end. Her chemistry and exchanges with Foxx at the beginning of the film also helps the audience believe the two characters could have some kind of romance and that it isn’t that ludicrous of an idea.

Unfortunately, Cruise is the film’s weak link for me. While I enjoyed his performance as a “bad guy,” he tends to get a little too over-the-top towards the end of the film, and comes across as trying too hard at times. I applaud the actor for taking the role, and he by no means ruins the movie. His performance is good and demonstrates why he is a mega-star, but he gets a tad grating for me by the time the credits roll.

The Blu-ray release of Collateral is worth picking up if you don’t already own it on DVD, but there wasn’t a huge difference in the film for me. It looks and sounds great, but the movie isn’t Avatar so the upgrade isn’t going to be jaw-dropping. The Blu-ray also comes with some decent special features that take you into the making of the film, and how it all came together on the screen.

Collateral is well-worth taking the time to watch, and the Blu-ray is probably the best way to watch it. It features solid work from everyone involved (both in front of and behind the camera), a good plot, and a great ending.