Directed by Michael Mann, of "Ali" and "Insider" fame, "Collateral" is shot in a gritty, electric style that owes much of its success to location-beautiful Los Angeles. Ample time is taken to make the audience appreciate the panoramic beauty of the shimmering skyscrapers and wide freeways that make up the city. It's also no accident that the majority of the film takes place in the lost hours between midnight and morning, and night in L.A. is the perfect backdrop for the various criminal activities depicted in the film, lending the whole piece a touch of film noir.
The trailer for the film features the tagline "it started like any other night …" which is a pretty accurate description of the plot, following an honest and unwitting cabdriver, Max (Jamie Foxx), as he is swept up in events that quickly start to spiral out of control. Max is a likeable guy who aspires to greater things in life but is stuck in his "temporary" career of 10 years. He is immediately enchanted by one of his customers, Annie (Jada Pinkett-Smith), who you can tell is a lawyer even before she discloses this information to Max. Their flirtatious banter in the cab results in Annie casually leaving Max her phone number-something we all know would never happen in real life, but we can ignore this fact for the sake of the plot.
Just when you're wondering where the movie is headed, Cruise enters the scene as Vincent, dressed in a sharp suit and carrying a briefcase, looking as innocent as a businessman could ever look. His dyed gray hair and casual demeanor belie his real job-a professional hitman. After feigning interest in Max's life story, Vincent proposes to hire Max for the night to the tune of six hundred dollars. The smell of that much money, coupled with his dreams of making something more of himself, prompt Max to agree to the offer.
Max and Vincent form an uneasy bond, which lasts until the first stop when Max is waiting by the curb for Vincent and a body flies out a window, landing on top of the cab. This bizarre incident reveals the truth about Vincent's real motives, and Max, against his will, is forced to continue on because he's in too deep to do otherwise. The unlikely twosome make their way around the city to various locales, and pay visits to various people. Meanwhile, an unnecessary subplot starts and fizzles in this period, involving two cops (Mark Ruffalo and Peter Berg) who are trying to follow the trail of murders to the killer, but always seem to be a step behind in typical movie police fashion. The final name on the hit list may be somewhat predictable, but it still manages to come across as a surprise as it pulls the entire plot together and produces the most suspenseful moment of the film.
Overall, "Collateral" is a gripping action thriller, without seeming overly violent and underacted. While we all know Tom Cruise can act (even in the atypical role of a villain), the most pleasant surprise of the movie is that Jamie Foxx can, too. He manages to hold his own with Cruise-even stealing several scenes-showing that he is capable of fine work, something not readily apparent from his previous roles in movies such as "Booty Call." "Collateral" may end up being worth watching simply because it is such a fresh and well-made take on an already played-out genre.