Of Collateral

So as my sister fooled around with her friends at my house,my mother and i decided to go down to Bishan to catch "Collateral".It is extremely weird to see how 3 20 something year old girls can gather in one room and watch videos of their idols.I mean,you guys are 20 something.Doesnt that ring a bell?You guys are gathering for the most useless reasons i can think of.Why dont you make better use of your teenage lives?My mother commented on the car that my sister's friends "Did not look like a student from NAFA".As in,she expected students from an "Arts School" to have a certain feel to them.Like,a musician or a dancer.That feeling you get when you walk pass them on the streets.Its easy to get that feeling.I didnt believe at first until i caught a glimpse.Yeah,they just looked like society leftovers.Ok,perhaps thats a little harsh.But who cares.They cannot stop screaming and yelling next door as i speak.Just get out of the house please.

The Review of Collateral



Collateral is a classic example of how an actor can diversify from his previous typecasted roles and in turn make the movie his own.In this movie we see Tom Cruise playing the cold blooded contract killer,Vincent,threatening Max(Jamie Foxx) the cab driver at gunpoint to be his driver for that night as he goes around killing five witnesses involved in a trial that poses problems for his employer.At first,he offers Max a deal of $600 dollars to make five stops in Los Angeles.Max,due to the lure of money,accepted his deal and drove him to his destination.This friendly deal stopped when a dead body falls on top of Max's cab,apparently shot by Vincent himself.The table turns,and now Max is not only the driver,but the hostage as well.So what began as an ordinary night suddenly became a trip to hell,where he has to make weird detours to hospitals,a Jazz bar and a night club called "Fever".While Max desprately tries to escape and survive the night,Vincent is obsessed with completing his job by killing all the witnesses.

I am not familiar with Michael Mann's(Director)works.In fact,i havent watched any before.His works include "Heat","The Last of the Mohicans","The Insider" and the cult favourite "ManHunter".However,through a friend of mine i understand that Michael Mann has the tendency to go over the top with his style of filming.He tends to focus a lot more on what he can do with the camera than what he can do to this story with the camera.However,this over emphasis of style is definitely not seen in this movie.He uses very interesting camera work here,with sweeping shots from a helicopter over the Los Angeles streets,as well as extreme close up shots which are often deemed as bad cinematography.However,Michael Mann pulled it off here pretty well.What makes this movie an enjoyable one is not just because of the chases and the gunplay,but the interaction between Max and Vincent.Max is a decent cab driver,who dreams to have his own limosine company after he quits his 12 year old job.He's decent character is established when he offers a free ride for Annie(Jada Pinkett Smith),his potential love interest.Vincent on the other hand,is a cold blooded contract killer,forcing Max to pose as himself at one stage and shoots whoever thats in his way.He's fast,and he is lethal.Every part of his body seems like a form of weapon,and he will not hesitate to kill anybody in order to get his job done.

Tom Cruise proved that he can diversify his roles from that sword wielding Samurai in "The Last Samurai",or the heroic secret agent Ethan Hunt in "Mission Impossible",or that handsome and charming fighter jet piolet in "Top Gun".This is NOT his first time playing a bad guy though(Those reviewers in Singapore keeps saying that this is his first time playing a bad guy.They obviously havent watched "Interview with the Vampire").He played the evil vampire in "Interview with the Vampire".Well,to me he's also the bad guy in "Magnolia".Well,not bad to the core.But just annoying.He's acting as the bad guy clearly shines when he mercilessly shoots a couple of gangsters faster than your eyes can blink.That scene was well shot and really cool to watch.Anyway,you can see that killer look in his eyes the moment he stepped out of the building and into Max's cab.He's character remains the same throughout the movie,despite an occasional advice or two for Max on relationships as well as life.Jamie Foxx is the lead and the most surprising character in this movie.He's known for his more comedic roles than this.In this movie,he showed depth and intelligence.The movie centres around this two characters really,with Jada Pinkett Smith and Mark Ruffalo as very minor roles.However,these actors are creditable as well.

This is a real life Tom and Jerry here.A cat and mouse chase,whenever Max tries to conjure up something that might ruin Vincent's plans,or simply escape.You are deeply connected with the characters in this movie,and wonder if Max would live through the night,or what Vincent might do next with the gun.This movie is pretty unpredictable,and sends the audience to the edge of their seats begging for more.You then start to put yourself in Max's shoes,and prays for his safety.This movie is compelling because of the interaction between Max and Vincent,and is clearly why this movie stands out from the rest this year.The acting and the atmosphere created by Michael Mann clearly defines what this film is all about,and sets the standard for thrillers that is to come.Thank god this movie redeemed last week's horrendous "The Village".Worth every single penny.Highly recommended.

Ratings:8/10

[strong]Quotes of the Day:[/strong]
Max,"Hey,hey!He fell on the cab!I think he's dead."
Vincent,"Good guess."
Max,"You...you killed him?"
Vincent,"No i shot him.The bullets and the fall killed him."

Max,"I can't drive you around while you're killing folks. It ain't my job!"
Vincent,"Tonight it is."

Vincent,"Okay, look, here's the deal. Man, you were gonna drive me around tonight, never be the wiser, but El Gordo got in front of a window, did his high dive, we're into Plan B. Still breathing? Now we gotta make the best of it, improvise, adapt to the environment, Darwin, I Ching, whatever man, we gotta roll with it."
Max,"I Ching?What are you talking about, man? You threw a man out of a window."
Vincent,"I didnt throw him.He fell."
Max,"Well what did he do to you?"
Vincent,"What?"
Max,"What did he do to you?"
Vincent,"Nothing.I only met him tonight."
Max,"You just met him once and you killed him like that?"
Vincent,"What? I should only kill people after I get to know them?"
Max,"Oh man..."
Vincent,"Max,six billion people on the planet, you're getting bent out of shape cause of one fat guy."
Max,"Well, who was he?"
Vincent,"What do you care? Have you ever heard of Rwanda?"
Max,"Yes,i know Rwanda."
Vincent,"Well, tens of thousands killed before sundown. Nobody's killed people that fast since Nagasaki and Hiroshima. Did you bat an eye, Max?"
Max,"What?"
Vincent,"Did you join Amnesty International, Oxfam, Save the Whales, Greenpeace, or something? No. I off one fat Angelino and you throw a hissy fit."
Max,"Man,i dont know any Rwandans."
Vincent,"You don't know the guy in the trunk, either."

Vincent,"Slow down!"
Max,"Shoot me."

Max,"How do you like being a lawyer?"
Annie,"What are you, psychic?"
Max,"Little bit. There's the dark, pin-striped suit. Elegant, not too flashy. That rules out advertising. Plus, a top-drawer briefcase that you live out of, and a purse, a Botaga. Anyway a man gets in my cab with a sword, I figure he's a sushi chef."

Vincent,"Max!I do this for a living!"

[Discussing two policemen who have pulled Max over]
Vincent," If they open that trunk, they're going inside it."

Vincent,"Hey,Homey."
---"Collateral"(2004)

[strong]Song of the Moment---[/strong]Theme from DragonHeart by Randy Edelman