Collateral 

Starring Tom Cruise, Jamie Foxx, Mark Ruffalo, Jada Pinkett Smith

Rated R for violence and language

*****

              “Collateral,” the new film from visionary director Michael Mann, is easily the best film so far this year. It is a challenging, thought-provoking, powerful and moody piece of work that resonates like the greatest work of Martin Scorsese. It all takes place in one night, and the cinematography, acting and music are all blended superbly together to make for an awesome experience. What a film.

            Tom Cruise is Vincent, a hit-man who has come to Los Angeles to kill five people, and he gets cab driver Max (Jamie Foxx) to drive him around while he does them. When Max realizes what Vincent is doing, he has no choice but to keep being Vincent’s driver. As the night goes farther and farther, the two get to know each other more and that’s where the action starts.

            But “Collateral” is not a typical crime film; it is unique in it’s way of giving such virtue and personality to each of it’s lead characters, and I was especially moved by the soulful performance by Jamie Foxx and, of course, the chilling and disturbing bad-guy of Tom Cruise. This is right up there with two other Michael Mann classics, “Heat” and “The Insider.”

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