Collateral

I first saw this years ago and kept falling asleep during it (common theme with movies I saw years ago that I’m trying to make up for). I didn’t think it was anything crazy but wow that’s a stupid fucking take. This is incredible. There’s not fat on the script at all. Even when you think things are slowing down or you can take a break you can’t e.g. jazz club scene. Vincent and Max are such amazing characters to follow and play off each other so well. There’s so much to say about their dynamic but I think it’s so interesting how these two lonely souls/coyotes happen to meet, by fate, and end up changing each other forever. They force each other to learn so much about themselves and it’s so interesting to see. Just wow. The camera work is so incredible in this. Whether it’s inside the cab, outside the cab, in a club, etc., it just all works so well. I love how Mann places the camera in different places to emphasize the loneliness of Max (and later on Vincent as well). It’s distant at times but close when it needs to be and creates an amazing atmosphere. Tom Cruise is at his coolest here and it’s so cool to see him do a role like this because it uses his action star abilities in a way you don’t see often in his other projects. His charisma is disarming at first, to Max and the audience, but you end up hoping he loses in the end. So nice to see that from Cruise. I don’t remember the last time I saw an action movie that had my heart beating like this. Even though this is technically a rewatch, it’s basically like seeing it for the first time. I trust Michael Mann with my fucking life, holy fuck.