[7]

Jamie Foxx stars as an L.A. cab driver forced to chauffeur a hitman played by Tom Cruise. Director Michael Mann (Heat, Last of the Mohicans) works from a solid script by Stuart Beattie that balances action and suspense with plenty of great character moments. The film builds nicely, with Foxx’s character instigating a few surprising turns of events. Cruise’s character is the icy, heartless kind who waxes philosophic a few times too many. A more stoic performance might have been better. Jada Pinkett-Smith is memorable in a handful of scenes, including one where she gets to know Foxx’s character from the backseat of his cab — possibly my favorite scene in the movie. I mean, how many times in movies have we seen characters talk to their cab drivers? And how many times do you actually believe they might be developing affection for each other? Hard stuff to do. The third act is more rote than I was expecting, but Collateral kept it fresh longer than most studio offerings. With Mark Ruffalo and Javier Bardem.

Oscar Nominations: Best Supporting Actor (Jamie Foxx), Best Film Editing