Collateral
Vincent (Tom Cruise) coolly walks through the airport and is bumped. Bags fall and apologies are exchanged. And so begins his next job. As a contract killer, Vincent is hired to kill 5 witnesses of a crime to be used in an upcoming trial. To drive him around, there's Max (Jamie Foxx). He's the hard-working cab driver with dreams of starting his own limo company. When Vincent offers him $500 to drive him around, Max can't refuse. But soon, he quickly realizes what he has gotten himself into. With each successive kill, Max stands by helpless, succumbing to the whims of a greater foe. It isn't until he finds out who the last victim will be when Max musters up the courage to do something about it.

Director Michael Mann has created a movie you can't take your eyes off for a second. First, there is the cool camerawork capturing an essence of Los Angeles rarely seen on-screen: a nighttime setting that is large but quiet with an emptiness that permeates throughout the city unless you find the right vibrant spot. Cruise dazzles in his performance as Vincent, a cool and confident hitman who's thinking many steps ahead of the next guy. Cruise has seemingly been on a hot streak since splitting from Nicole Kidman, hasn't he? The dialogue is filled with small nuggets that let us know more about the mysterious Vincent as well as the innocent Max, who Foxx plays well. The film's lone shootout evokes thrilling emotions as Vincent must fight his way through guards and police to get to his target. But as smart and as thrilling as the movie is, the ending degenerates into the usual chase sequence that yes, ties up the loose ends, but still, misses its mark to put an exclamation point on a fine film. 3.5 stars