Collateral

Collateral  - 2004 A crime thriller

Directed by:
Michael Mann

Written by:
Stuart Beattie

Starring:
Tom Cruise, Jamie Foxx, Jade Pinkett Smith







This film was co produced by DreamWorks and Paramount Studios. DreamWorks handled the rights to this film in North America whereas Paramount handled the rights to this film internationally everywhere else. In 2006, when Paramount purchased DreamWorks and therefore aquired the North American rights to this film. Paramount released Collateral on blu ray on March 30th 2010.


The film opened August 6th 2004 in 3188 theatres across USA and Canada and grossed $24.7 million in the opening weekend and was number 1 at the box office. It eventually grossed $101,005,703 across USA and Canada and grossed a total of $116,758,588 across other countries for a total international gross of $217,764,291.




Plot:

Max Durocher (Jamie Foxx) is a cab driver who dreams of having his own limo company one day. He's been a cab driver for the last 12 years and that's how he makes his living. He picks up a woman called Annie (Jade Pinkett Smith). He drives her downtown to her destination and then moves on. His next customer is a man called Vincent (Tom Cruise). Vincent offers Max $700 to make only 5 stops and then driving him to the airport. Max thinks this is a very good deal and can't refuse. Max takes Vincent to the first stop and waits in the car while Vincent goes into the building. Max sits in the car and sees a dead body fall out of the window. Max learns that Vincent is a calculating assassin and that these 5 stops will consist of Vincent killing people. Max hates the idea of driving Vincent round but is almost bullied into driving him round. Max tries to say no to Vincent but he is forced into driving him round because of the threat that Vincent makes when he says that he would kill him. The police learn of Vincent and Max's involvement in the killings and this creates a typical cat and mouse game which then delivers a surprise ending.


This film was Michael Manns' first feature film to be mostly shot using high definition cameras. Michael Mann decided to use the Viper Film Stream High - Definition Camera to film most of the scenes in this film. It was the first time this camera had been used in a major motion picture. However, there are some scenes where there is evidence that a digital camera is used. For example, in the scenes where the landscape is visible in the background.

A good use of camera technique is the scene where the coyotes are seen to be running across the road. The low light capability allowed Mann to be able film this scene without having to set up lighting.

This scene was shot using 35mm film.


Collateral was sat on DreamWorks development for 3 years. Mimi Leder was supposed to be the director but then he pulled out. Janusz Kaminski was then supposed to direct it but then he pulled out so it then went to Michael Mann. It was initially Russell Crowes' idea to get Michael Mann as the director but there was constant delays with the film so Russell Crow eventually left. Michael Mann then approached Tom Cruise with the idea of playing Vincent and also wanted Adam Sandler to be Max. Robert De Niro was also a contender to play Max but the studio refused as they wanted a younger actor.

Collateral started getting public attention when Russell Crowe said that he was interested in playing the role of Vincent. He didn't get this role and instead it went to Tom Cruise.

This scene is where the police make Max stop the taxi because he has a smashed windshield and blood on the windshield. The police question Max about why his windshield is smashed and why it has blood on it and why there is a food mess in the car. Cinematography is used well in this scene because there are plenty of close ups which show Max's face as he stutters a lot and has to think of excuses to why his windscreen is smashed. There is a body in the trunk of the car as the police want the trunk to be opened and Max has to do everything he can to stop the trunk from being opened.






This is a scene where Max and Vincent visit the hospital to visit Max's mum, Ida. Vincent buys his mum flowers because she is in hospital. Ida and Vincent have a conversation about Max while he is in the room with them. Vincent refers to himself as a friend of Max's rather than a client. The irony of this scene is when Ida says "You'd have to put a gun to his head to get him to do anything". This dialogue is ironic because when she says this, Vincent and Max exchange looks because Vincent actually does put a gun to Max's head earlier in the film and obviously Ida doesn't know about this.