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.