Review

A smart, sleek, intense thriller that has both style and substance, Collateral takes a high concept formula -- hit man takes cabbie hostage -- and executes it in a most unformulaic and unpredictable way. Looking ten years older with a mop of greying hair, Cruise is Vincent, a world-weary, well-coiffed contract killer who flags down the L.A. cab driven by Max (Foxx), whose dream of owning a limousine service has been on hold longer than he'd like to acknowledge. When Vincent's first hit goes awry and Max becomes a witness, Vincent takes Max hostage, forcing him at gunpoint to act as accomplice. As the evening wears on, Vincent taunts and waxes philosophic with his captive, who knows his tormentor has no plan of letting him live through the night. Director Mann creates a palpable tension throughout the film, using Vincent's icy exterior, Max's reticence and the city's stark, evening glare to frame a sometimes nightmarish, atmospheric tale where the outcome is constantly in question. Cruise and Foxx are both excellent; Cruise playing against type as a cold-hearted killer devoid of emotion and pity, Foxx torn between self-doubt and the instinct for survival. Their chemistry makes the viewing all the more hypnotic.

 -- David Bleiler