Collateral

Can anyone tell me why an assassin, would hire a cab driver to chauffer him around while he kills people? Don’t these people usually work alone and try to stay invisible? And don’t the professionals wear gloves so as not to leave fingerprints? Oh well, Collateral is just a movie. But hey, it’s a Tom Cruise movie, so I’m sure most will forgive all of the flaws I’ve pointed out. Plus Jamie Foxx gives the performance of his life as the cab driver, which makes the movie a wee bit more believable and thrilling at the same time.
6 Comments
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August 13, 2004 at 2:26 am
George
Cruise seems most natural in shoot-you-as-soon-as-look-at-you mode. He seems scarily appropriate.
Foxx is working the low-key charm. Let’s just say I relate to his character’s motivations, or lack thereof, and leave it at that.
Pinkett-Smith should have been wearing a bob, not that long hair. Other than that, she handled herself well, even getting through the cliche that her role could have become.
Ruffalo and Bardem were aces, as always.
I saw “Heat” five times in theaters; I may only catch this one three, maybe four times. Michael Mann flicks, what can I say?
August 10, 2004 at 7:16 pm
Enigma
collateral isn’t a movie i’d run out and tell people to go see. it was alright. i disagree with jamie’s performance being that of a lifetime. he’s done better (ali) and just good (any give sunday). i think the performance to see will be his as ray charles in the upcoming ray.
August 10, 2004 at 5:56 am
E!
Actually, Jamie Foxx was the second choice behind Russel Crowe if casting rumors are believed.
August 9, 2004 at 8:26 pm
sherry
I don’t know if I am too interested in collateral, probably because I don’t like tom cruise. Also don’t you get feeling that jamie foxxx was the second choice after samuel l jackson?
August 9, 2004 at 8:20 pm
E!
At the risk of enlightening you about my seemingly vast knowledge of the criminal underworld, assassins would more readily use a taxi because who would suspect an assassin to travel by public transportation? Renting a car in a city that you do not know would leave a paper trail. A taxi driver would know the city and know the fastest routes between points on a map. So, to recap:
1. A taxi would facilitate the first objective for an assassin which is to remain anonymous and hidden from view.
2. Utilizing a taxi driver as your guide negates the need of local knowledge of a target city.
3. A taxi cab would allow the assassin to focus on the job at hand and not worry about logistics.
Michael Mann is notorious for his attention to detail. He thoroughly studies the topics he captures on film. If he says that’s what a hitman would do, then you can bet he has reason to illustrate the movie the way he does.
By the by: I liked collateral almost as much as I enjoyed Heat, another classic Michael Mann film.
August 9, 2004 at 8:16 am
kt
Invisible is more effort than it’s worth. Not to say not doable, but unnecessary. You just skew what people are going to see so that they won’t recognize you later. That’s actually very easy.
Gloves, on the other hand, are more than just important.
I still haven’t decided if I’ll go see it or not. Hitman comedies I’ll see. I expect firemen have a harder time getting excited about firefighter movies, and DJ’s and radio hosts probably have a hard time with movies about radio.
Hollywood always has to change things and glamorize them, so you can’t see a movie on something and assume that’s what it’s like.