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By
DEBORAH NICOL
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. |
