Collateral - 2004

Paramount Pictures, DreamWorks SKG, Parkes/MacDonald Productions

Directed by Michael Mann

Cast:

• Max Durocher – Jamie Foxx
• Vincent – Tom Cruise
• Annie – Jada Pinkett Smith
• Fanning – Mark Ruffalo
• Richard Weidner – Peter Berg
• Pedrosa – Bruce McGill
• Ida – Irma P. Hall
• Daniel – Barry Shabaka Henley
• Felix – Javier Bardem

Story: LA cab driver Max Durocher picks up a woman heading downtown to the federal building. On the way, there they have a wonderful conversation about her job, his dreams, and at the end of the ride he has made such a good impression she gives him her card. A man outside the federal building in a gray suit starts to take the next cab, but Max is first in line and tells him, “I'll take you.” The man tells Max an address, compliments him on the cleanliness of his cab, and asks how long it will take to get there. Max says seven minutes, and explains the route. When he gets to the destination, the man introduces himself as Vincent and explains he has several stops to make and offers Max $600.00 plus an extra $100.00 if he gets back to the airport after the trip and doesn't have to run for the plane. Max reluctantly agrees and pulls in the alley behind Vincent's first stop to wait for him. But as he is waiting, a body falls from the apartment onto the cab. Max soon realizes Vincent is the killer, but Vincent corrects him. “I just shot him...the bullets and the fall killed him. At gunpoint, Vincent explains he is on a route to kill several witnesses and Vincent will be his ride.

Review: I don't believe I will ever tire of Michael Mann's perspective on the human race. Cruise is the assassin, a cold, relentless killer without remorse, fulfilling a contract as quickly and efficiently as possible. Jada Pinkett Smith is the doer, an assistant federal prosecutor who is focused and dedicated to making the world a safer place by making sure the criminals end up behind bars. Jamie Foxx is an everyman caught up in a situation he cannot control trying to survive. He is a cabbie with dreams of becoming a limo service owner, and like most of us, lacks the ambition to follow it through. The way his life is going, he will end up driving a cab for the rest of his life. The polarized characters in this drama make for more than just a crime story. It is the battle we all face everyday, the battle of our ambitions and goals being quelled by complacency and routine. It is the battle most of us lose, unless we are fortunate enough to find an epiphany that changes our lives. For two hours, Mann escorts us through the battle in a unique and singular perspective that only he can manage, and this film keeps you on the edge of your seat as Max reaches that epiphany and develops into the everyman who can attain a higher plain. Rated R for violence and language, the sheer integrity, and power of this film make it collectible as one of Mann's best pieces. The performances are brilliant, the photography and setting is superb, and the film concludes with a resolution that will bring you to a realization of just how meaningful life can be.

Manhunter - 1986

De Laurentiis Entertainment Group (DEG), Red Dragon Productions S.A.

Screenplay and Directed by Michael Mann

Cast:

• Will Graham – William Petersen
• Molly Graham - Kim Griest
• Reba McClane – Joan Allen
• Dr. Hannibal Lecter – Brian Cox
• Jack Crawford – Dennis Farina
• Francis Dollarhyde – Tom Noonan
• Dr. Frederick Chilton – Benjamin Hendrickson
• Lt. Fisk – Frankie Faison
• Freddy Lounds – Stephen Lang

Story: Will Graham is a former FBI agent who recently retired to Florida with his wife and son. Graham is a 'profiler' of criminal behavior, and tries to think like the killers he profiles in order to capture them. He is called out of his retirement by his former boss, Jack Crawford, to help the FBI catch an elusive serial killer, known to the press as the 'Tooth Fairy', who randomly kills whole families in their houses during the full moon and leaves bite marks on his victims. While searching for clues to the Tooth Fairy's identity, Will meets with Dr. Hannibal Lector, an incarcerated serial killer who Will captured years earlier. His early dealings with Lector nearly drove him insane, and almost cost him his life. He discovers secret communciations are being routed in newspaper personal ads between Lector and the Tooth Fairy, and Lector may be behind a plot to kill his family for revenge.

Review: This is the first of four reviews I will do on the movies involving the character Hannibal Lector, the horrifying creation of Thomas Harris who even now ranks among the most terrifying villains imagined. A physician and psychiatrist who not only manipulates and murders his patients, but eats them as well. In this first screen appearance of Dr. Lector, he is little more than a footnote. Most of the film concentrates on the toll taken on Will Graham in his return to the FBI and his pursuit of the Tooth Fairy. The film contains the classic Michael Mann “darkness”, and the action is brisk and to the point. Petersen, Cox, Farina, and Noonan give splendid performances, and the overall feel is better (in my opinion) than “Red Dragon”, the remake of this film. Rated R for violence and language as well as disturbing content and images, this is definitely not a family film.

Heat - 1995

Warner Bros. Pictures, Regency Enterprises, Forward Pass

Written and directed by Michael Mann

Cast:

• Lt. Vincent Hanna – Al Pacino
• Neil McCauley – Robert De Niro
• Chris Shiherlis – Val Kilmer
• Nate – Jon Voight
• Micheal Cherrito – Tom Sizemore
• Justine Hanna – Diane Venora
• Eady – Amy Brenneman
• Charlene Shiherlis – Ashley Judd
• Sgt. Drucker – Mykelti Williamson
• Detective Casals – Wes Studi
• Bosko – Ted Levine
• Donald Breedan – Dennis Haysbert
• Roger Van Zant – William Fichtner
• Lauren Gustafson – Natalie Portman
• Kelso – Tom Noonan
• Trejo – Danny Trejo

Story: A professional burglary crew that specializes in high end merchandise is pulling jobs in Los Angeles that go off with military precision. The Major Crimes bureau gets the call, and starts nosing around to find the evidence, which is damn little. Lt. Hanna, the chief investigator, is a driven man who places his job above everything in his life, and it is taking its toll. Neil McCauley, the leader of the crew, has nothing in his life, and it is taking its toll. We get a glimpse into the personal lives of all the criminals, their families, and their cold precision. We listen to Lt. Hanna work the informants, and marvel at the way he puts the pieces together to find the crew. But every time he thinks he has a chance, he has no evidence with which to make a case. The drama builds and the plot thickens in this dark suspense story which only Michael Mann could bring to you.

Review: Okay, I have to preface this by telling you I am a huge fan of Micheal Mann, so if my praise for the man seems a bit over the top, you know why. Al Pacino has figured prominently in many of my reviews, so no surprise he delivers another stellar performance in this epic that reunites his with his Godfather II costar, Robert De Niro, who also delivers in his best “tough guy” style. The cast list above may seem a little long, but it could be longer, since there are a few other superb actors in the film, such as Martin Ferrero, Henry Rollins, Hank Azaria, and Jeremy Piven. The list above represents a powerhouse of a cast, though. Ferrero and Noonan have worked with Mann many times before, and I would imagine their inclusion represents a strong suggestion on Mann's part, but they both perform their roles well. This is one of those films where we see the entire canvas, not just one or two parts of the painting. We discover what drives these men, and their women. The settings are perfect, the photography Oscar worthy, and in spite of a run time of just over 2 hours, keeps you sitting on the edge of your seat. Lots of gun play and bad language, a few scenes of with implied sex, so no need to watch this when the kids are up and about. Definitely a collectible, one you will love to watch over and over again.