Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
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Intense
‘Collateral’
After Tom Cruise reminded us all why he’s our last great movie star during the Paris Olympics closing ceremony, I decided to check out Collateral for the first time. Released in 2004, Collateral stars Cruise and Jamie Foxx and was directed by Michael Mann. It’s one of the only times in his career that Cruise has straight-up played a villain. The movie follows Foxx’s Max Durocher, a cab driver in Los Angeles, as he’s approached by Vincent (Cruise) and offered a high fare for a nighttime drive with a few stops. It becomes clear quickly — to us and Max — that Vincent is a contract killer on a killing spree and Max, as the driver, is being held hostage by him. For the most part, Collateral is a two-hander between Foxx and Cruise, but supporting roles from Jada Pinkett-Smith, Mark Ruffalo, and Javier Bardem heighten the suspense of the film and the urgency of the plot even more. Yes, Collateral is a stressful watch, but it’s also just nice to look at; as the first movie shot on a digital camera, Mann’s Los Angeles is vibrant even in the middle of the night.
