Collateral (Michael Mann, 2004): USA
Reviewed by Gi-Yeong Um. Viewed on DVD.
Collateral is directed by Michael Mann, who is quite possibly the greatest American filmmaker alive today. He has proved himself over and over again to be a very smart and very real filmmaker. Michael’ Mann’s direction is gritty and full of suspense, with jump shots and quick cuts, but when the film finally ended I felt let down by the ending.
I love the way this movie has been filmed because it shows the dark side of Los Angeles, and the dark side of our life. It’s dark, dirty, crowded, and sprawling. Michael Mann shows a different Los Angeles with soft lights such as street lamps. Shooting LA at night is nothing new, but it is still very effective and great to look at.
For most of the movie the audience never sees the action, only Vincent and Max. Their growth is incredible, and Mann coaxes amazing performances from his leading men. Masterful use of the camera, well written dialogue and incredible acting take a movie in which nothing happens (no explosions, no thunderous gunshots, no huge arguments or fanfare) and presents it as perhaps the most compelling and intriguing film in recent years.
I think the acting is good. Jamie Foxx plays the role of Max, who is the taxi driver in the movie. I think his role was really big and important in this movie. His performance was perfect to create a coherent, unified character. He seemed to be a real taxi driver who got trouble and he was in Max’s position. When Vincent forces Max, his performance shows what was going on in Max’s mind and how he felt. His face and performance fit perfectly with role of Max. Tom Cruise also performed the role of Vincent very well. Vincent is a hired assassin, and Cruise shows the character’s thinking and feeling to the audience.
For most of the movie the audience never sees the action, only Vincent and Max. I think the actor’s performance has the expressive power to make us forget that he or she is acting. The two main characters made us focus on their action a lot. I think they used their performance to achieve that effect. The actors’ performance cause us to forget he is acting.
The soundtrack choice is excellent. It follows camerawork well and gives more emotions to the characters. In some scenes, it adds to the tension and pressure. It is also well timed at crucial scenes so you will want to buy the soundtrack to listen when the movie is done.
This is a very good thriller, and well done. Personally I enjoyed every minute of this movie and did not want to stop watching for a moment. There are many great scenes from this film, such as a dance club scene. It is intense, cool, smart, and has very purposeful dialogue. I highly recommend this film to anyone who has taste in movies.
6 Comments
Jump to comment form | comments rss [?] | trackback uri [?]