Collateral





The second best film of '04, behind Spider-Man 2. Outstanding performances from Jamie Foxx and Tom Cruise. Michael Mann's best film yet, and just really all-around fantastic stuff.

A+

Everything you could want from an action/thriller. An intriguing and original story, crackling dialogue, fantastic performances, superb direction, and some great action set pieces. The film is just all-around excellent. Cruise and Foxx have great chemistry and play off each other well, and the supporting characters add to the story without taking away from the two leads. The cinematography is simply stunning, and is showcased to full effect in the film's highlight, the nightclub scene. The end goes off the rails a bit, but it's simply an extension of what had been building the entire film. And the ending, though abrupt, is perfect for the film. Just a fantastic film.

A

Great acting, great story, just great all around. #2 movie of 2004.

Yeah, great movie. The pacing was a little uneven at times, but still excellent film.

b- it was okay but not great.

I watched this on the plane from Japan to the USA so it wasn't ideal for viewing such a great movie, but still was enjoyable. After Last Of The Mohicans it's my favorite Michael Mann movie. I thought this was one of Cruise best performances. Foxx was also excellent and all the supporting players were good in small roles. I didn't realize Mark Ruffalo was even in this until I saw the credits. I thought the chemistry between Foxx and Jada Pinkett Smith was also very good, esp. in the early scene in the cab.

My only complaint is that the story seemed to rely to much on coincidence. I can overlook that though because everything else was so good. I rate it an A-.

I was begining to worry 10 minutes in the film that I wouldn't enjoy it but I was wrong, I enjoyed it immensely. I do agree that the pacing is quite uneven but the movie is very entertaining, I especially liked the last 40 minutes or so. Tom Cruise is good but the real standout is Jamie Foxx, great performance. While the movie isn't deep in meaning or anything it's a very entertaining flick.

- B+

Very good movie with excellent performances from Cruise and Foxx.

A-

I just finished it. This film was incredible, great acting all round. Tom Cruise is great in this film(Also is my Favorite Actor). Jamie Foxx, what can I say, I really don't like him but he is incredible in this movie, I can't believe what a change it is from his other movies like the recent, Breaking All The Rules. Pinkett Smith has a smaller role but is still great. The one thing I don't get is why Jamie Foxx is the supporting actor when he is the lead Actor(Well atleast in my opinion). The ending was great, the good guy wins kindof ending. Overall the movie was fanatasic. A-, probably my 5th or 4th favorite film of the year.

This is my 4th favorite film of the year (don't worry Cruise... Jesus, Spider-Man and Shrek couldn't break up my three favorites, Dawn/Shaun of the Dead and Saw). It's an incredible ride. At first, I didn't like the ending, and that was the only thing I thought was bad about the film, but upon second viewing, it actually works pretty well. Grade: A

Hey, Joey, are you actually a fan of horror movies, considering that all movies in your TOP 3 are more or less horror flicks?

You know, Lecter. I never considered myself a horror movie fan, but judging by the movies I've seen this year, I really really enjoy them. I enjoy to write a lot, and my preferred genre is horror, because there is so much to be explored in horror. Horror movies are a great way to learn some ways for writing. Oh, and don't forget that it's really four of my top five that is horror: Saw, Shaun of the Dead, Dawn of the Dead, and The Grudge. :wink:

I am a horror movies nut. Join the dark side, Joey! :wink:

I would love for you to meet my brother. He is OBSESSED with horror movies. And not just mainstream horror, but really bad, old b-movie horror flicks. He has dozens of them on VHS and DVD. This weekend, he's visiting us for Christmas, and I got him to watch both Shaun of the Dead and Saw. He loved them both! Man, in those closing minutes of Saw (leading to the surprise ending), my heart was POUNDING in my chest. I don't recall a movie doing that to me recently.

I've heard a lot about saw. I'm thinking I'll pick up the DVD as soon as it comes out.

This was such a great movie. Tom Cruise was incredible, Jamie Foxx was great, and Jada Pinkett Smith was good in her role. I thought it was a little slow in the beginning, but it gets very interesting when Tom Cruise shows up. I didn't expect to enjoy this movie so much, but it was done very well, and I loved it. The only complaint I have is the conclusion. It was a little anti-climatic. I just thought it was have a better ending, but other than that its a great film. It has great action scenes, dialogue, and the way the story unfolds is very intriguing. My favorite scene is when Tom is chasing Fox and Jada in the attorney office, that was really intense, and had me at the edge of my seat. I just love it when films can get me hooked almost immediately after they start, and this one surely did. The pacing is excellent too. It is very well balanced with the story, and the action. It never for once seems like a hollow action film, with no story. It has a great story, and its much more than just an action flick. I enjoyed it immensely, and it definitely earns a spot in my Top 10 of the year.

Grade: A

B+ Stellar performances really carried this one, which in my opinion is an above average action flick.

Ok...one thing I will never understand...what is so great about Tom Cruise in this film? It's Tom Cruise with white hair, dark glassses, doing horrible stuff...but the fact is it's still Tom Cruise. Now it wasn't necessarily a bad performace, it worked for me. In part maybe because of the movie itself, in part because bringing in some of his Tom Cruise-ishness works for the character, but I jsut don't understand these claims that his performance is phenomenal, there have been PLENTY of performances that have been better this year, and its not his best performance by any means or even close. IMO, he was much better in Last Samurai and Vanilla Sky, among his recent films. (And, for comparison, I thought Matt Damon was much better in The Bourne Supremacy).

And I also had quite a few problems again. First one...coincidence. IT relies on it over and over and over again. Some of the scenes didn't make much sense, or there was no logic to it. Such as Max running out of the hospital while leaving Vincent with his mother.

Despite it's problems, I'd compare it to Chicago, in the sense that it has flaws, it's not really going to do anything for the genre in any way, but it has something very few movies in its genre have: THE THRILLS. Thrillers should have thrills, right? I especially liked the last hours..the scene in the club was phenomenal (despite, again, some lack of logic during a moments or two) and ESPECIALLY the last, nail-biting half hour.

Great cinematography, and great acting from Jamie Foxx (and Mark Ruffalo) also help the movie out. I also enjoyed Jada Pinkett Smith and Javier Bardem (whom I did not recognize for a minute, and who got me thinking if someone like him would have been better for the lead role).

A top-notch thriller, and one of my favorite movies of the year.

A-

I rented this yesterday. It lived up to the hype, and is a welcome addition to my top 10 of the year. I gotta buy it on DVD soon. Tom Cruise is just incredible, as is Jamie Foxx and Jada Pinkett. And the final scenes were so suspenseful that I was practically having a heart attack. Loved it.

A+

Amen. The performance was good for what it was but it wasn't incredible or anything...
Jamie Foxx was way better in this IMO.

I thought their performances were on par. Both great, none oscar-worthy

I agree with you, and they and they are not oscar worth by any means, but they are good performances.

Yup.

Collateral - A+

The best film of 2004. Pretty impressive and amazing is this film. Brilliant hitman from Tom Cruise, one of the best actors living today and ever. The story is amazing, simple but amazing. The realism of the gun fights was superb, being a "gun" man, i know Also, the gun used, USP whether its the standard or the Compact, it is an amazing weapon.

I think Jamie Foxx's is as good or better as the other nominees/winners he's been winning award with.

His performance is not Oscar worthy for one reason.


It IS a lead performance. I don't even know how you could argue otherwise, as was the case with movies like The Hours. And there are many better performances in the ultra-crowded-this-year best actor in a leading role category, including his own (probably, haven't seen Ray). That's why he shouldn't be nominated :wink:

Also among movies which Tom Cruise was better in...Minority Report.

So I feel bad saying it, cause it sounds really negative and its not meant to be, but this is actually one of his worst performances.