Fort Bliss Monitor

Cruise, Foxx carry stylish Collateral

STAFF SGT. MARK PORTER
Editor

Collateral, the new crime thriller directed by Michael Mann and starring Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx proves several things including a) no one orchestrates action like Mann, b) given the right role Cruise can be a good, sometimes great actor, and c) while nobody was looking Foxx turned into a performer on the verge of stardom.
The movie centers on a hit man named Vincent (Cruise) in LA for one night to eliminate five witnesses in an upcoming trial. It opens with his arrival and a baggage switch at the airport, then seems to turn into another movie. Next we are in a taxicab with Max. We see him meticulously prepare for work and eavesdrop on his conversation with a fare named Annie Farrell, a pretty federal attorney (played with fire and fun by Jada Pinkett Smith). The two connect instantly, almost flirt and leave wishing their conversation didn’t have to end.

As Pinkett leaves, Vincent slides into the cab. As played by Cruise, the hit man is a shark cruising for prey, a stone-cold killer who sees no reason to rationalize what he does for a living. Cruise is dynamite in this role, undercutting his movie star image as he did in Magnolia and Minority Report, and finding a darkness and edge the character needs. With steel gray hair and stubble that matches his suit, Vincent is a killing machine. All he needs is transportation to get from hit to hit. This is where Max comes in.

While Cruise takes his game to a whole new level, Foxx achieves heights here most probably never dreamed he could. Foxx matches Cruise step for step and together they display a flawless teamwork.

While Max is forced into chauffeuring Vincent on his murder spree, Foxx runs believably through every emotion the character might feel. From panic to resignation, back to panic and finally to anger, Foxx makes it all look real – all the while undercutting it with a sense of fear and dread. His best scene is one in which he must impersonate Vincent. As he faces a drug lord, we can see him change from meek cabbie to the dangerous man the baddies believe him to be.

Considering his early work consisted mostly of bad TV sitcoms and worse movies, Foxx’s performance here is a revelation. It’s not a stretch to say this performance could warrant Academy award consideration. Five years ago saying this about Foxx would have been grounds for a urinalysis.

Like other Mann-directed films (most notably Heat) this movie puts the audience in an odd position, as it makes Vincent so effective, so in control that viewers begin routing for him. Even as we sympathize with Max, we can’t look away from Cruise’s Vincent. Watching him talk with a jazz trumpeter (a wonderful Barry Shabaka Henley), drawing him into conversation over their shared love of music, we glimpse the person behind the animal, only to have the violence surface again – the effect is stunning.

As in other films, Mann casts able actors in even the most minor roles. LA police (Peter Berg, Mark Ruffalo), the drug lord (the always amazing Javier Bardem) and feds come and go, and each contributes to the story. Every performance is solid.

Leading it all is the director. Mann shoots action like nobody else. He switches back and forth with handheld cameras in many action scenes, drawing the audience into the scene until they can almost feel the heat and smell the smoke. A nightclub shoot out is especially well done, with small pockets of action erupting in a crowd of unaware clubbers.

Mann brings all his talents to bear in Collateral and creates a rare, mesmerizing blend of action, emotion and humor. He soaks each scene with atmosphere and finds beauty not only in the shadows of LA, but in his flawed characters.



www.bliss.army.mil	Published for the Fort Bliss/El Paso, Texas Community	August 12, 2004

<map name="boxmap-b4"> <area shape="rect" coords="0, 589, 120, 600" href="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm/privacy-policy.html?o=1" > <area coords="0,0,10000,10000" href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?tag=&creative=92501&camp=8117&link_code=dl1&path=subst/misc/amazon-cobrand-cc/v3/marketing-from-associates-step1.html/ref%3Db1_assoc_29" > </map>	Cruise, Foxx carry stylish Collateral STAFF SGT. MARK PORTER Editor Collateral, the new crime thriller directed by Michael Mann and starring Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx proves several things including a) no one orchestrates action like Mann, b) given the right role Cruise can be a good, sometimes great actor, and c) while nobody was looking Foxx turned into a performer on the verge of stardom. The movie centers on a hit man named Vincent (Cruise) in LA for one night to eliminate five witnesses in an upcoming trial. It opens with his arrival and a baggage switch at the airport, then seems to turn into another movie. Next we are in a taxicab with Max. We see him meticulously prepare for work and eavesdrop on his conversation with a fare named Annie Farrell, a pretty federal attorney (played with fire and fun by Jada Pinkett Smith). The two connect instantly, almost flirt and leave wishing their conversation didn’t have to end. As Pinkett leaves, Vincent slides into the cab. As played by Cruise, the hit man is a shark cruising for prey, a stone-cold killer who sees no reason to rationalize what he does for a living. Cruise is dynamite in this role, undercutting his movie star image as he did in Magnolia and Minority Report, and finding a darkness and edge the character needs. With steel gray hair and stubble that matches his suit, Vincent is a killing machine. All he needs is transportation to get from hit to hit. This is where Max comes in. While Cruise takes his game to a whole new level, Foxx achieves heights here most probably never dreamed he could. Foxx matches Cruise step for step and together they display a flawless teamwork. While Max is forced into chauffeuring Vincent on his murder spree, Foxx runs believably through every emotion the character might feel. From panic to resignation, back to panic and finally to anger, Foxx makes it all look real – all the while undercutting it with a sense of fear and dread. His best scene is one in which he must impersonate Vincent. As he faces a drug lord, we can see him change from meek cabbie to the dangerous man the baddies believe him to be. Considering his early work consisted mostly of bad TV sitcoms and worse movies, Foxx’s performance here is a revelation. It’s not a stretch to say this performance could warrant Academy award consideration. Five years ago saying this about Foxx would have been grounds for a urinalysis. Like other Mann-directed films (most notably Heat) this movie puts the audience in an odd position, as it makes Vincent so effective, so in control that viewers begin routing for him. Even as we sympathize with Max, we can’t look away from Cruise’s Vincent. Watching him talk with a jazz trumpeter (a wonderful Barry Shabaka Henley), drawing him into conversation over their shared love of music, we glimpse the person behind the animal, only to have the violence surface again – the effect is stunning. As in other films, Mann casts able actors in even the most minor roles. LA police (Peter Berg, Mark Ruffalo), the drug lord (the always amazing Javier Bardem) and feds come and go, and each contributes to the story. Every performance is solid. Leading it all is the director. Mann shoots action like nobody else. He switches back and forth with handheld cameras in many action scenes, drawing the audience into the scene until they can almost feel the heat and smell the smoke. A nightclub shoot out is especially well done, with small pockets of action erupting in a crowd of unaware clubbers. Mann brings all his talents to bear in Collateral and creates a rare, mesmerizing blend of action, emotion and humor. He soaks each scene with atmosphere and finds beauty not only in the shadows of LA, but in his flawed characters.