Cruise shines in new thriller 'Collateral'

Regardless of all the attention that his personal life receives in tabloids or his regrettable '80s movies, it's obvious that Tom Cruise is one of today's finest actors. His new film, the Michael Mann-directed "Collateral," only goes to show how versatile he can be. In "Collateral," Cruise plays Vincent, a mysterious hitman with unknown employers. He comes into Los Angeles to complete a job, and catches a ride with Max, a cabbie who still tells his customers "this job is temporary" after twelve years of driving a cab. Max hopes to start a limousine business one day, while Vincent only hopes to kill all five people on his list in one night, with Max driving him around the city against his will. As the night and body count both progress, the battle of wills and wits between the two men hurtles towards a climactic boiling point. That's the plot summarized, and by no means is the plot the strongest point of "Collateral." Writer Stuart Beattie won't be accused of writing an overly complex plot, but the story does an amazing job of developing the characters and making them real to the audience. Beattie's genius is letting the characters slowly reveal themselves through their conversations with each other, rather than regurgitate their back stories all at once. The approach not only makes "Collateral" an intelligent, deliberate movie, but also draws the audience to empathize with the characters, even the killer. Cruise's performance is expected as an actor of such high caliber but the pleasant surprise "Collateral" holds is Jamie Foxx. It's not apparent in "Booty Call," but Foxx can play a nuanced part when given the right script. Here he plays Max as not only a man who is worried for his safety, but also a man who seeks escape from his unimpressive existence and who worries that he may never make anything of himself. Foxx undoubtedly deserves more serious roles after his unexpected turn in a movie that calls for a performance that would challenge any actor, not to mention one whose credits include garbage like "Breakin' All the Rules." Cruise brings such life to the character that to watch Vincent's interactions with Max is unsettling. He tells Max a presumably true account of his youth that adds insight to how he became a cold-blooded assassin. Vincent also seems to mentor Max, teaching him to stand up for himself. When thugs take Max's wallet and Vincent's briefcase, Vincent kills them, then matter-of-factly gives Max his wallet back. When Max's boss attempts to cheat him out of money, Vincent starts a dialogue that ends with Max threatening to press charges on his boss. The mentor/captor relationship between two men from completely different worlds is the best element of the film, and also the oddest. The only flaw with the film is its supposed twist. The film takes place within such a small sphere of characters that moviegoers will see it coming and take it for granted. Though the film dissolves into a cat-and-mouse film late in the game, "Collateral" is worth the price of admission for the performances, as well as Mann's inventive use of high-resolution digital cameras. Plus, everyone loves a shoot-out, and "Collateral" has a great one. Grade: B+