2004, USA
Adventure, Crime, Drama, Thriller
To be a cabbie or a limo driver, that is the question. Whether 'tis nobler to work for The Man or live out the grand dream of bussing celebrities in a tricked out Beamer, the real trick is becoming the personal chauffer for a hit man pulling an all-nighter. Collateral director Michael Mann (Ali, The Last of the Mohicans) reins in the non-stop digital action and attempts to ask soul-searching questions of fate and indifference.
Golden boy Jamie Foxx holds the emotional center of the film as said cabbie, which makes it a wonder that his many award nominations are under supporting actor categories when he is clearly the film's stronghold. Tom Cruise portrays his usual steely-faced tough guy, with his usual traces of emotional breakdown. Cruise knows this mold well, but there is little remarkable in comparison to the range of Foxx's fragile performance. Smaller roles are well done but wasted on talents such as Mark Ruffalo and Javier Bardem.
Mann balances the tightrope of realism and typical action bravado. Drawing upon the adrenaline of utmost stress, it is possible that a person may become his own doppelganger. With minutes to kill in between visits to tapped targets, the professional driver and the professional killer discover each other's soft spots and must decide whether to poke or provoke. Their decisions will not shock, but are more tempered and thoughtful than those of a typical countdown shoot 'em up.
Though minimal in its attempt to crack the human psyche, Mann's efforts are appreciated. Action movies are far more digestible when swallowed with a smooth coating of intelligence that lacks sugary drivel.
The DVD double-disk extras include a making-of documentary, three featurettes, deleted scenes with commentary, and rehearsal scenes.