Collateral is not just another early-2000s thriller, it’s something much more than that. It’s a mood, it’s a vibe and it’s a fucking masterpiece. Released 20 years ago, it’s still just as good as it was back then. And I can safely say it’s going to remain that way for a long, long time. I remember watching it for the first time, a couple of years after it came out. I was at a friend’s house and he said he’s got this great movie but it comes on not one but two CDs. Back then, DivX video compression and pirated movies were all the rage. So, I decided to burn those two CDs hoping that Tom Cruise wouldn’t disappoint me.
A couple of months later, during one chill summer night, I finally hit that play button. For the next two hours, I was totally consumed by it. There’s this thing I have with perfect summer nights in the city. Nights when it’s just a bit hotter than usual but there’s also this chill in the air. Those summer nights feel magical even if nothing happens. Even if you just take a walk. And when you see them on the screen, you instantly recognize them. Michael Mann, director of Heat and Manhunter, captures Los Angeles, one of the most iconic cities on Earth, in all its authenticity.
However, I think I’m getting carried away here. This is what usually happens when I really like a movie. And I have a lot of things I want to share with you. So, let’s do this right. Collateral is a neo-noir thriller about a hitman on a night-long mission. He takes his cab driver hostage and forces him to drive him to his unsuspecting victims. During that time, the two of them will have conversations about life, death, and everything else in between. There will be twists, intense scenes, and a lot of great dialogue for your viewing and thinking pleasure. The camera alternates between immersive shots of the city and up-close-and-personal portraits of our main characters.
Since the story unfolds over the course of just one night, the pacing is excellent. Moreover, the sense of tension never leaves the screen, even after the movie is over. At this point, I also have to say that you need to let this movie take you for a drive. This means you shouldn’t look for plot holes because you’ll surely find them. You shouldn’t look for strange coincidences that move the plot forward because you’ll, again, surely find them. Collateral is not a movie without flaws. However, if you’re willing to look past them and really feel it, you’ll be greatly rewarded.
Writer Stuart Beattie first came up with the idea when he was just 17 while taking a cab home from the airport. He first wrote just a two-page script and then continued to polish it over the following years. This is why it feels so densely packed and deliberate. I’m sure you’ll commit to memory many of its lines. It explores many themes and all of them feel oddly relevant. Perhaps that’s because of stellar performances. You can say that this is Tom Cruise’s not just best but also the easiest performance to date. Vincent feels so fucking much like him in real life, like his real personality that it’s fucking scary.
Jamie Foxx was just as good as your average talkative cabbie with a dream he keeps dreaming about. That fucking picture of his. I thought a lot about it. When I first saw the movie, I was too young to understand its true meaning. But now I abso-fucking-lutely do. The first thing that came to my mind now was that scene in The Simpsons when Homer looks at the poster Mr. Burns left him “Don’t forget, you’re here forever” and changes it to “Do it for her”. Anything to get you over that line, am I right? Although lately, I’ve been trying to realize that you’re already on that island.
The old saying goes: If there is no vain cloud over your head, any season is a good season. If you want more info on that I highly suggest you check out Joko Beck and her simple but incredibly effective teachings. Sheesh, we’re already at 700 words and I feel like I’ve just begun talking about this movie. I didn’t even mention just how much I dislike Mann’s decision to shoot most of the scenes using a digital camera. He says that it works better in low-light conditions although I just don’t like the grainy and shaky vibe it’s putting out. Especially when compared to the indoor scenes shot in the film.
This is another thing you can have fun with during the movie. The city feels kind of lonely and detached. Moreover, Collateral feels like one big video game where the NPCs are not that good. I mean, they’re realistic, going about their business and leaving you the fuck alone. Finally, I have to mention the soundtrack. Audioslave’s “Shadow on the Sun” was a perfect night song although I would also throw in Deftones’s Passenger and Change for good measure. And if you’re wondering what’s the song playing in the nightclub it’s Paul Oakenfold’s Ready Steady Go (Korean Style).
Director: Michael Mann
Writer: Stuart Beattie
Cast: Tom Cruise, Jamie Foxx, Jada Pinkett Smith, Mark Ruffalo, Peter Berg, Bruce McGill, Barry Shabaka Henley
Fun Facts: Adam Sandler was almost cast as Max, the taxi driver. The role eventually went to Jamie Foxx while Russel Crow was initially supposed to play Vincent, the hitman.
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IMDb Link: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0369339/
